


The Black Blade

by Zealprophet27



Category: Black Sails
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-01-31 09:03:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21443674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zealprophet27/pseuds/Zealprophet27
Summary: They say Fate meets you along the road you take when you try to avoid it. For Flint and his men, this statement proved to be true. No one could have foreseen the lives of the Walrus intertwining with those of a crew of common merchants with secrets abound. This story begins before the series (AU). (Billy/OC)
Relationships: Billy Bones/Original Character(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 20





	1. Prologue

"They're gaining on us!" the helmsman shouted over the barrage.

Captain Flint glanced over his shoulder to the helmsman. He knew that he'd have to get creative if he were to outrun the ship pursuing them. It didn't help that their cannon fire was forcing him into a route, not of his choosing.

"What are your orders, Cap'n?" the helmsman shouted again. The blasts of cannon fire were nearing.

Flint's eyes narrowed, sneering at the ship closing in on their position. Turning back to the bow of the ship, he hoped to see anything to inspire him out of this mess. There was nothing but blue sea.

"We're going to have to fight," Flint muttered to himself. He wasn't prepared to do so, given their situation. He wished he had the Walrus and the entire crew to back him but instead, they were at least a full day's sail ahead of them.

"Cap'n?"

Flint gritted his teeth. "Men! Ready yourselves for battle!" The men on board the square-rigged ship drew their pistols and readied themselves.

The voice on the crow's nest shouted down to the deck, "Sails off the port bow!"

Flint heard the warning, eyes darting over to see two sets of sails approaching fast. He hadn't accounted for being outnumbered. He wouldn't be able to allow his men to fight should they be boarded. They would be forced to surrender and hope they'd survive the encounter.

The wheels inside his head were turning, trying to formulate a new plan.

Another warning from the crow's nest shouted down, "Sails off the starboard!"

Flint scoffed, turning to see another ship approaching them. He sighed. This left him no further choice. He had to surrender to them. He looked over his men, all of whom were staring at him, questions written on their faces. He shouted, "Men! We have no choice! We will strike the white. Do not fight them. They're here for the cargo."

He hoped that it was true. He hoped all they cared about was the precious loot that had been stored below decks. He hadn't been a religious man, but at that moment, he began to pray that his pursuers would show mercy on them.

Gates approached him. "Are you certain about this?" When Flint glanced over at him, brows knitted together, Gates nodded. "I thought so."

Their cargo ship slowed to a stop, allowing the four ships to surround them. They had already struck the white, showing that they were giving up. Flint hated doing so, but he wanted to know who he was up against.

The crew from the ship chasing them had climbed aboard. Flint's crew were ordered to their knees, weapons confiscated, wrists tied.

The captain of the pursuing vessel approached Flint. Flint recognized the uniform. Bloody English, he thought as the man stopped before him.

"Ah, Captain," the man said, grinning at Flint. "Quite the chase you gave us."

"We will not fight you," Flint said, eyes narrowing at the officer. "Take your cargo and go."

The officer chuckled. "Oh, we have every intention of searching your vessel..." the man glanced about the deck before saying, "Not that this is your vessel, am I correct?" Flint held the man's stare. He refused to placate the man's curiosity. The man smiled, clearly amused. "It makes no difference to me." He snapped his fingers, giving silent orders to his crew to begin their search.

Flint's eyes never left the officer. He seemed almost familiar, though he couldn't pinpoint why exactly. Perhaps they had been in the Royal Navy together many years ago. He didn't care enough to dwell on the past.

After several long moments, the officer's crew began removing crates upon crates of the stolen gold and gems and other wares. The officer asked, "Is that everything? Did you search everywhere?"

"Yes, sir," his crewman stated.

The officer turned to Flint. "Well, I must say, this was the most fun I've had in weeks. It's a shame to see it end so abruptly." He began making his way back over to his vessel. He stopped before crossing over and turned back to Flint. "I bid you a good day, Captain."

Flint nodded, brows furrowed as the Naval officer boarded his ship, shoving off. He turned to see the other ships that had come as reinforcements turning to leave.

His heart pounded behind his ribcage. Something was wrong - deep down, he knew that something horrible was about to happen. That's when he spotted it. The gun ports were opening broadside.

Flint turned to shout the order to take cover, but he was too late. The blasts knocked him off his feet, sending debris of wood into the air.

By the time they were able to get back onto their feet, the four ships had moved off, leaving them to sink into the deep blue sea, alone.


	2. Dangerous Tides

Captain Wheeler Henry sat at his oak desk in his quarters, papers were strewn across the top as he read through the cargo manifests. They were making decent time and he realized that they might make it to port with time to spare. He would be able to allow his crew a chance to relax for a day or two before having to head back out for their next run.

A knock landed on his door, breaking his concentration. Lifting his eyes toward the door, he ordered, "Enter."

The wood door creaked open and his First Mate, Clem Hale, walked in. "Captain?"

"What can I do for you, Clem?" Wheeler asked, lowering his dark eyes back to his reports.

Clem replied, "We've got a situation up on deck."

Narrowing his eyes, Wheeler asked, "What situation?"

"There's debris in the water," Clem stated. "We've spotted a ship ahead."

"She movin'?" Captain Henry asked, finally looking up.

Clem shook his head. "No. She's dead in the water."

Wheeler sighed, standing up from his desk. "Let's take a look, shall we?"

The moment they were on deck, Wheeler could see the scorched debris littering the deep blue sea. His eyes followed the trail of debris to the vessel up ahead. He could tell from how low the ship sat that she had taken on water and was slowly sinking.

"Bring her around, Mr. McFadden!" Wheeler shouted to his helmsman. "Let's see if anyone's on board."

The ship slowly approached the battered vessel. Clem cupped his mouth with his hands and shouted across the gap, "Is there anyone aboard?"

Deafening silence filled the air. The crew shifted uneasily as they waited for a response.

"Ahoy there! Anyone alive over there?" Clem shouted again.

Wheeler turned to Clem. "We should go over and make sure that no one is aboard before we move on."

"Are you sure about that, sir?" Clem asked, uneasy with the orders.

Another voice spoke up behind them, "I think if no one is answering, we should move on."

Wheeler turned around and eyed his kin. "If there is someone over there, they might need help. I'm not about to turn my back on someone in need." He turned to the crew and announced, "I'm leaving Lou in charge."

Lou was about to object but stayed quiet after seeing the look on Wheeler's face.

Wheeler, Clem, and one other man went over to the sinking merchant ship. Lou watched on, afraid for the three going over. "This is a bad idea," Lou mumbled.

On the other ship, Wheeler ordered Clem and his crewman to search the ship carefully. "Look for survivors," he ordered.

They searched the main deck, then entered the lower decks. The water had already begun pooling in the lower decks - it was currently at ankle height.

"I've got someone over here!" Clem announced. Wheeler and his other man made their way to Clem, splashing through the water as they made their approach.

Clem reached out to check the two men slouched against the hull. A gruff voice spoke behind them, "Don't bother. They're dead."

The three turned to see a group of seven men standing with weapons drawn. Wheeler and his men raised their arms defensively.

"We came to help you," Wheeler stated, swallowing nervously. "I'm Captain Henry. This is my First Mate, Clem Hale."

"Normally," the red-haired man in front of the group interrupted. "I'd ask permission before boarding another man's ship, but as you can see..." he motioned around them at the sinking ship. "We're running out of time for pleasantries. I need your ship."

"We came to help you," Wheeler reminded him, trying to remain calm.

"And now you can either allow us to come aboard by your own volition or you stay here and we take it anyways," the man remarked.

Clem blinked at the men before him. "Who are you?"

Sighing, the red-haired man seemed annoyed. "I'm Captain Flint," he stated. "Now that we've introduced ourselves, does it make it better to know we're taking your ship?"

Wheeler shook his head. "You can't just leave us here!"

Flint gritted his teeth. "If you don't start cooperating, I will leave you here. I don't have time for this."

Wheeler nodded, surrendering to Flint's demands. "Fine, but I should warn you," he started. "My crew might not be as accommodating." His thoughts went instantly to Lou.

"Then those who aren't can stay behind," Flint replied, matter-of-factly.

Flint forced the three towards the upper deck. Once they were on deck, Wheeler crossed back to his ship first. He shot Lou a cautionary glance. Lou's face scrunched up in confusion, eyes darting back to watch the men boarding.

Wheeler was about to make an announcement, but Flint shouted, "Listen up!" Wheeler's crew listened. Flint continued, "My name is Captain Flint! I'm taking control of your ship."

Murmurs could be heard from Wheeler's crew. Lou seemed especially mad.

Flint continued, "If you do as I say, no harm will come to you or your crew, but defy me..." he glared at the entire crew. "And there will be consequences." He motioned to his men. "These men will be taking over your duties. If you have a problem with that, you can stay on that ship there." He pointed to the sinking merchant ship. "Any questions?"

When none of the crew spoke up, Flint turned to Wheeler. "Shall we continue our conversation?"

Wheeler nodded, motioning to Clem and Lou to follow. Flint saw the two Wheeler selected. He could see the resemblance in Lou's eyes and he connected the dots that this kid was Wheeler's.

Flint motioned to Gates, Singleton, Joji, and Billy to follow him. They followed Wheeler into the Captain's cabin. Once the door was closed, Joji stayed by the door, barring any access in and out of the room.

Billy stood behind Lou and Clem, while Gates, Singleton, and Flint stood by Wheeler's desk. Flint allowed Wheeler to sit behind his desk as Captain. It was a courtesy, Flint believed.

Wheeler asked, "What happened to you over there?" He motioned to the sinking ship they were sailing away from.

"We were attacked," Flint simply said.

"Attacked?" Clem asked. "By who?"

Gates cleared his throat, taking the answer for Flint. "We believe to have been attacked by the Royal Navy."

"You believe?" Clem asked, confused. "You don't know for certain?"

Gates nodded. "There were four ships. None of them were flying their colors."

"Seems a bit of overkill," Lou muttered, eyebrow raised in doubt.

Clem glanced over at Lou, giving the silent warning to stay quiet. Unfortunately for Lou, Flint heard the remark. "Do you have something to say, boy?"

Lou shifted in place. "I'm not your 'boy'."

Gates inhaled deeply, carefully stepping in between Lou and the irritated Flint. "Do you know who Captain Flint is?" Lou's dark eyes darted between Gates and Flint.

Singleton smirked. "Probably too young to know. I'm sure the boy was still sucking on his mother's tit." Flint smirked at the comment. Singleton walked around Gates to tower over Lou.

"Listen here, son," Flint said, shifting off to the side for Lou to see him. "Don't be a hero."

Lou's eyes held Flint's stare. "I'm not your 'boy' or your 'son'-"

Flint smirked at the kid. "If you're going to be here, shut up and show some respect."

The kid's hand wrapped around the hilt of a dagger hidden within the hip pocket, gripping it tight. Clem saw what was happening and shot another silent warning to Lou.

Lou wasn't the only one who saw it. Billy had seen Clem's warning. He grabbed Lou's armed wrist with one large hand while using the other to pry the blade from the fingers. Once he had taken the blade from Lou, Billy released his hold.

Flint's eyes flashed red. Before anyone could react, Singleton moved surprisingly fast, grabbing Lou's neck and lifting the kid off the floor, toes barely touching the planks of wood beneath. He glared into Lou's dark eyes as he squeezed the air out of the kid's lungs. "Listen here, boy," Singleton spat. "We might be on your ship, but if anyone demands respect, it's us. Now... if you can't wrap your mind around that fact, we'll have no other choice but to toss you overboard. Do you understand?"

Lou clawed at the grip Singleton had around the neck. Wheeler stood up from his desk to see Lou's face redden from lack of oxygen. "For God's sake!" Wheeler shouted. "Let her go! Let go of her, you bastard!"

Gates whirled back around to Singleton and Lou. It wasn't until he could see the feminine features become more prominent against the struggle that he realized that Lou was a girl. "Fuck, Singleton...That's a girl! Let her go!"

Flint studied the kid's face. He saw the hatred filled in the dark brown eyes hidden behind long lashes. His brows furrowed when he noted the other softer features of her sex. "Singleton!"

Singleton dropped her to the floor, recoiling his hand as if it had been bitten. "What the fuck?"

Lou coughed, gasping for air at Billy's feet. Clem eyed the kid on the floor. "You all right, Lou?"

Lou muttered something under her breath before shouting, "You son of a bitch!"

"She's fine," Clem said, turning to Wheeler. Wheeler still seemed afraid for his daughter, even if relief washed over him.

Flint lifted his gaze from Lou to Billy. "Get her out of here."

"No!" Lou retorted, voice raspy. She felt hands under her arms, lifting her to her feet. "No! This isn't your ship!"

Flint was about to remark, but was interrupted by muffled shouting up on deck, "Sails!"

Wheeler sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I hope to God this isn't who I think it is."

Flint's eyes narrowed at the remark. "Are you expecting company?"

Wheeler's eyes drifted over to Lou. "I hope not."

All eyes landed on Lou. Flint noticed that for the first time since meeting Lou, she seemed almost worried. He hadn't seen her show much fear, especially against him, but there was something about the sudden change of tension that had him curious.

One of Wheeler's men knocked on the door. Shouting through the door, the man said, "Captain? It's Harkon!"

Flint turned to eye Wheeler as he heard the man mutter, "Fuck."

Billy could feel Lou tense under his grip. He glanced down at the girl. The color had drained from her face. She seemed worried.

Flint asked, "Who's Harkon?"

"Lieutenant Harkon," Wheeler stated. "He's a member of the Royal Navy."

"If the Royal Navy is here," Gates stated. "We're in a lot of trouble."

Flint was seething on the inside. This day was just getting worse and worse in his opinion. "Can we outrun him?"

"No," Wheeler stated. "We're a large merchant ship. We're built for cargo, not speed." He tore his gaze from Lou to Flint. "Besides, he'd know something was amiss if we run."

Clem silently surveyed the situation. It was apparent that no one wanted to be caught under Harkon's gaze. He cleared his throat, turning to Wheeler. "We could use the holes."

"Holes?" Flint repeated, brows knitted together in confusion.

Wheeler's shoulders sank. "I think we have no choice."

"What are you talking about?" Flint demanded to know.

Clem turned to Flint. "We have smuggling holes on board. We can use them to hide your crew while Harkon is on board."

"He boards your ship?" Gates asked, brows knitted together in surprise.

At the same time, Singleton shouted, "I refuse to hide in a hole like a bitch!"

Wheeler sighed, ignoring Singleton's outburst. "Yes, he boards. Frequently."

"Why?" Gates asked. "Why would he board you at all?"

Wheeler and Clem's eyes drifted over to Lou. Lou shifted in place, swallowing nervously.

Flint shook the questions he had from his mind. He didn't have time for conversations. "You can explain later. Is it possible to tell him that we're part of your crew?"

Wheeler shook his head. "He'd know we were lying. He knows all of our crew and he'd know if we picked up any new crewmen."

"Where are these holes?" Flint sighed, giving in.

Singleton scoffed as he turned his ire to Flint. "You're going to hide?"

Flint spat back, "We don't have a choice!"

Clem quickly led the men into the crew's quarters. He bent down, sticking his finger into a hole before pulling a hidden door open. Flint blinked at the hiding hole. He hadn't noticed it, but he hadn't been looking for it either.

Turning to Wheeler, he asked, "How many of these do you have onboard?"

"Many," Wheeler admitted. "Most are being used. You and your men should fit in this one."

"Harkon's approaching fast," the man stated. "What do you want to do?"

Flint ordered his men to take cover inside the hole. As expected, they all fit...all but one. Flint was about to ask what would become of Billy, but Wheeler raised his hand to cut him off.

"Don't worry," Wheeler reassured him. "We have another place he can hide." The door to the hole closed over the men inside.

Lou motioned Billy to follow. There was another hiding hole in the wall nearby. When Billy peeked inside and saw how small the space was, he shook his head before turning his blue eyes towards her. "Fuck no."

"You don't have a choice!" Lou hissed at him.

Clem landed a hand on Lou's shoulder. "Neither do you, Lou."

She turned to look at Clem. "No...no."

"He can't find you here," Clem said, giving her a sad glance. In a hushed voice, he added, "You remember what happened the last time."

"There's barely enough room for me-" Lou protested.

Clem sighed. "Then you two will be better acquainted by the time this is all over. Get in there and stay quiet." He pushed the two into the small space within the hull.

The two struggled to readjust themselves in the confined space as Clem closed them inside. Billy's back laid flat against the wall of the hiding space, hands flat on the wall opposite him, Lou stuck between the two.

The two were pressed closely together, each one could feel the other's breath and heartbeat. Lou could feel the scruff on his chin rubbing against her forehead as they struggled to stay unmoving.

"Who is this guy?" Billy whispered.

Lou mouthed to him, Be quiet!

There were numerous footsteps overhead. Lou stared at Billy, brown eyes wide with fear. He held her intense gaze, wondering who they were hiding from. He had been sailing for a few years now but hadn't run across anyone that struck fear into people like this. Even for Flint to hide seemed odd, but he knew that had more to do with the fact that the Royal Navy had sent four ships after them. Flint would rather bide his time in the hole than being shot and hanged by the Navy on a ship that had no weapons to defend themselves.

Lou's breathing had picked up as the footsteps overhead started towards the stairs that led onto their deck. With every breath she took in, she could smell Billy's musky scent - sea air, sweat, sandalwood, and a touch of whiskey. She hadn't smelled anyone like him before and she lived on a ship full of sweaty men.

He studied her face for a moment, about to ask another question when the footsteps were louder, then a gruff voice spoke nearby, "Is she here?"

Lou's breathing hitched, mouth went dry instantly. Billy could feel her shake slightly, but he wasn't sure if that was because of the visitor on board or because it was difficult in such close quarters not to move.

"No," Wheeler's voice spoke. "She's not. I'm sorry."

"Where is she now, then?" the man asked.

"She's at a small port a day's journey from here," Wheeler lied. "We're on our way to pick her up."  
"I don't like it when you do this," the man stated. "How could you allow her to stay in ports by herself? Don't you understand how dangerous that is? What if the wrong kind of person got a hold of her? Don't you remember what happened all those years ago?"

Wheeler cleared his throat. "She's stronger than she looks, Lieutenant."

"I'm sure," the man hummed. "Are you sure she's not here?" The voice was louder than before. Lou's breath stopped, almost in fear that the man could sense her.

"I'd know if she were," Wheeler stated. "I watched her disembark three days ago. Why do you ask?"

"I can smell her," Harkon replied. "Perhaps I just miss her." The footsteps moved away from their hiding spot. Lou slowly exhaled. Harkon asked, "Which port did you say she was at? Maybe I can meet you there and say hello to her in person."  
"Havana," Wheeler replied.

Lou closed her eyes, almost in pain. Her face scrunched up, afraid for her father. Billy saw her reaction and fear began to creep up into his chest.

"Havana?" Harkon asked. "I thought you said that she was at one of the smaller ports? And a day's journey from here...Havana is much farther away than a day...especially with a full ship like yours."

"Did I say Havana?" Wheeler asked. "My mind is muddled, forgive me. She's in Bridgetown. We're heading to Havana after we pick her up."

The silence was deafening, even for Lou. Her heart was beating so hard and loud she feared Harkon would hear through the wood.

"Very well," Harkon finally said after the pregnant pause. "Bridgetown isn't very far. We'll meet you there." Footsteps began to walk away, but they suddenly stopped. "I have to ask, Captain Henry," Harkon began. "There was a vessel nearby that was nearly underwater. Did you happen to stop by to assist?"

Billy's eyes connected with Lou's. They waited for Wheeler's response.

"No," Wheeler stated. "We don't know anything about any ship."

"Hmm," Harkon hummed. "I could have sworn that we saw you sailing by it. Perhaps I was misinformed."

Sounds of boots on the stairs could be heard echoing in the room. Lou sighed, relaxing into Billy's chest. When she realized what she was doing, she quickly shot back up, trying to move away from him, but didn't go far in the tight space.

They could still hear the muffled voices up above. Billy whispered, "What happens now?"

Lou shook her head, silently telling him to stay quiet. She wasn't convinced that Harkon was gone yet. She didn't want to risk being found, especially in a tight space with another man.

They could feel the ship moving once more, and after a few minutes, their hiding spot was opened up. The two glanced over their shoulders to see that Flint and the men from his hiding hole were already out and waiting for them to emerge.

They struggled to get out of the spot, but once they were out, Flint stepped forward, eyeing Lou. He turned his attention over to Wheeler. "I think there's a conversation to be had." He glanced back over to Lou and added, "That includes you."

She took a deep breath and followed Flint, Gates, her father, Clem, and Billy into the Captain's cabin. The door closed behind them and Lou was glad to see that Singleton wasn't included in the conversation. Her neck still ached from that man.

Lou stood in the center of the room, her father and Clem stood nearby but waited for Flint to guide the conversation that he deemed necessary.

Flint glanced between the three. "Someone please explain to me what that man has over you." He studied their body language as he spoke. He added, "Why do you have so much fear over one man?"

"It's not just one man," Clem admitted, clearing his throat and crossing his arms. "He's got an entire fleet at his command."

"A fleet?" Flint questioned.

Wheeler sighed, seemingly defeated. "He has orders out to his men to stop us if they see us."  
Gates cut his explanation off, "You mean he isn't the only one who stops and boards your ship?"

Wheeler nodded. "We've seen several different officers over the past twelve years."

"Why?" Flint asked. "What is it that you have that he's taken such an interest?"

Lou shifted uncomfortably in her place. She slowly raised her hand. "Because of me."

"You?" Flint questioned, eyebrow raised. He wasn't convinced.

"He has an unhealthy obsession with my daughter, Louella," Wheeler stated. "Always has since she was a child."

Flint leaned against the Captain's desk, crossing his arms. "Why? What is so different about you than any other woman?"

Lou shook her head. "I don't know."  
"What aren't you telling me?" Flint questioned. Gates turned his attention to Flint, wondering if he was silently planning something. Flint continued, "All of you cower when he comes, that was plain to see. My question is why? Why hide? What does he do when he boards?"

Lou wanted to disappear into the floor. Everyone in the room could see it. Flint looked at Gates before turning his eyes back to Lou. Gates stepped forward, trying to reassure her. "Hey, we can't help if you don't trust us."

"Trust?" Clem laughed. "This from pirates? Pirates who boarded our ship and took command of her?"

Flint stared at Clem. "If what you say is true about this man, we might have a common enemy."

"How do you figure that?" Wheeler asked.

"You said it yourself that this man - this Harkon - has an entire fleet at his command," Flint reminded him. "It could be the very fleet that cornered us and opened fire on a ship that had surrendered."

"You surrendered?" Wheeler asked, in surprise.

Flint nodded. "We knew we were no match for four heavily armed ships," he stated. "We figured they were after the treasure in the holds, but..."

"But?" Clem pushed.

Flint shook his head slightly. "Now I'm not convinced they were after just the treasure. They seemed to be entertained with the idea of sinking that ship."

Gates turned the conversation back to where it started. "So, why is he so obsessed with you and your ship?"

Wheeler turned his attention to Lou. She met his gaze, shaking her head. He ignored her and said, "It started when she was twelve." Lou scoffed at the fact that her father was telling them what happened all those years ago. She turned away from them, wanting to leave, but Billy stood in her way, preventing her from walking out of the room.

Her brown eyes pleaded with him silently. He studied her face, noting the bruising on her neck from where Singleton had grabbed her. He gave her a sympathetic glance. She closed her eyes, turning back as Wheeler continued speaking.

"She's been at sea since she was eight," Wheeler explained. "Her mother had abandoned her and I took her with me. She stayed with me until she reached twelve when I thought she was old enough to help with the ship tasks." He sighed, running a hand through his grey hair. "I had her gathering supplies in ports, stocking up on food and water. I figured it was a simple enough task that wouldn't get her into too much trouble."

"So, what happened?" Flint asked.

Wheeler said, "Word came to me that Lou was in trouble. A group of thugs had cornered her somewhere in the market, so I did what any father would do: I rushed to find her."

All eyes shifted to look at Lou. Lou stared at the floor, unmoving.

Wheeler continued, "When I found her, she was with Harkon. He was mending her cuts and bruises. He told me what happened, said that he had scared those thugs off for good, but asked to ensure her safety while in port. I thanked him, offered him a reward but he refused. I didn't think ill of him back then. We ran into him several more times as the years went by."

"When did it change?" Flint questioned.

Wheeler looked deep in thought for a moment. "I'd say by the time she turned sixteen," he admitted. "She went out to gather supplies in port like she had been doing ever since that incident. But he was there, waiting for her."

"How'd he know where to find you?" Billy questioned. All eyes turned to him. Wheeler seemed surprised to see Billy - as if he had forgotten Billy was even in the room.

Wheeler replied, "He had been following our shipping routes and got to port before us so he could 'escort' her."

Flint narrowed his eyes at the remark. "Was he a Naval officer then?"

Wheeler nodded. "He was when this started back then too."

Flint's eyes darted back and forth in deep thought. He knew something wasn't adding up, but he was struggling to understand why.

"Aside from stalking you," Gates began. "What has he done to you to make you so afraid of him?" He turned to Lou and added, "To make you hide whenever he comes?"

For the first time since the conversation began, Lou finally spoke. "Because he's unpredictable."

"What does that mean?" Flint asked, meeting her gaze.

Lou sighed heavily, clearly defeated. "You never know what he's going to do when he comes aboard." She chewed her bottom lip for a moment before saying, "He came aboard once and decided that he wanted to sail with us for a while. He stayed in my father's cabin and ordered the crew around. When no one stopped him and he returned the next time, he demanded that I stay behind when the others headed to the port. He claimed it was for my protection."

She glanced over to her father, who seemed guilty of something. Flint's eyes narrowed as he glanced between the two. "What did he do?"

Lou's eyes dropped back to the floor for a moment before bringing her eyes to meet Flint's. "With the crew onshore, he took that opportunity to stake his claim over me."

"What does that mean?" Gates asked. It was clear that the men hearing the story for the first time believed she was referring to rape. All three men seemed uneasy with this admission.

Lou surprised all of them when she stated, "He carved his name into my back."

"I beg your pardon?" Flint scoffed.

Lou untucked her shirt from her pants, lifting it. Billy, who had been standing behind her, saw a portion of the scars that marred her back before she turned around to showcase it before Flint and Gates.

Her eyes locked on with Billy's. He saw the fear and embarrassment on her face; he saw the lone tear that fell to the floor. He felt the overwhelming urge to step forward and offer comfort, but he stayed put.

Flint and Gates took in the scars. They were so large that they took up the entire length of her back. The man didn't leave a space untouched. Lou dropped the shirt down and turned back to address them.

"The time after that, we decided to start telling the lie that I wasn't on board and I hid in the smuggling hole," Lou began. "That was the time when he went into a fit of rage, demanding to know where I was." She motioned to her father and Clem. "They tried to tell him that I wasn't on board, but he wouldn't listen. Demanded answers - demanded to see me, and when they held firm on the lie, Harkon took my father into the infirmary and cut his leg off."

The men furrowed their brows before turning their attention back to Wheeler's legs. They didn't realize that he had a fake leg. He walked with a slight limp, but it seemed like a natural gait. Wheeler lifted his pant leg to show that Lou was telling the truth.

"Do you know how hard it is," she began, voice trembling with anger and hate; eyes filling with tears. "To keep quiet in a small space while listening to your father's screams of agony, knowing that you're the cause of it?"

Gates asked, "Why didn't you come forward?"

Lou scoffed. "He would have murdered my father on the spot if I did that...and who knows what he would have done to me." She turned her eyes back to Flint and said, "He's killed his men before for seemingly no reason at all. He's bragged about the people he's killed, the ships he's sunk, and how he has no one to answer to but himself."

Flint rubbed his chin with his fingers. "But that still doesn't explain why he's obsessed with you or your ship."

Wheeler cleared his throat. "We're a smuggling ship. We can carry more weight than other merchant ships you're accustomed to. I think he suspects that's what he has here."

Flint shook his head. "I doubt that is the reason." He pushed himself off the desk and padded around the desk. "If we were attacked by his fleet, then they were looking for something specific." His eyes lifted to land on Lou. He added, "I think along the way, he found his obsession for you as an easy excuse to search your ship, but I don't think he's after you specifically."

Lou adverted her gaze. She wasn't convinced. This had been going on for far too long for them to be Harkon's scapegoat. Based on the glance Flint's man, Gates had given him, told Lou that he wasn't convinced either.

Flint scanned the books that laid open on top of the desk. "There has to be a reason he's going after merchant ships..." He glanced up and suggested, "We need to head to Bridgetown and find out what it is that he's searching for and get him off our backs."

"Why go to Bridgetown at all then?" Clem asked, unsure if he was following Flint's plan.

Flint's eyes drifted over to Clem. "If what you say is true, not showing up to Bridgetown would be a mistake and possibly a costly one." He turned back to the papers on the desk. "No, we head to Bridgetown." He lifted his head to meet Lou's eyes. "You will continue to behave as you would normally. Don't give him any reason to suspect anything different." He motioned to Billy. "Billy will accompany you - from a safe distance - when you're in the market. If anything should happen, you will return to the ship at once. I'll have my men scouring the port to see what information we can gather." He glanced between the people in the room. "Do we understand?"

When he was satisfied with their answers, he turned to Wheeler. "We should discuss further in detail, Captain to Captain."  
"Of course," Wheeler replied, carefully. He glanced over at Lou before nodding to her to leave.


	3. A Coming Storm

When they arrived at the port of Bridgetown, it was still dark outside. Wheeler ordered the launch readied. Once it was in the water, Lou, Billy, and two other men climbed in. They shoved off, heading for land.

Wheeler had explained to Flint that while it was dark, they ferried Lou over to the land, returned the launch to the ship until morning. If Harkon was watching or waiting, he'd miss the launch and believe that Lou was still onshore when they appeared.

Flint wasn't convinced but said nothing. He wanted to see how it played out. If anything, this was something more involved than what he wanted to get wrapped up in. However, he knew the benefits of watching the players of the game to see what he'd be up against.

Before they reached the shore, Lou turned to Billy. "When we get to shore, head to the brothel on the far end of the lane."

His brows knitted together. "Brothel?"

She blinked at him. "I know the owner. She lets me stay there whenever we need to do something like this. She doesn't share her clients' information with those searching. We'll be safe there." Billy slowly nodded to her, unsure what to believe.

Once they reached the shore, Lou took off through the darkened streets of Bridgetown. Billy followed a safe distance, making sure to keep his eyes on her, but also the surrounding area. It was still late and most of the island inhabitants were sleeping.

Lou entered the brothel and Billy waited a few moments before following in behind her.

Billy had been in brothels before, but none like this. Instead of a dark, dirty, and foul-smelling place where women paraded half-naked, this seemed much more upscale than anything he'd seen. It looked civilized. Had he not been watching as Lou entered, he would have believed that he walked into the wrong building.

The madam of the brothel appeared before him. She smiled warmly at him, offering her hand out to him for a kiss. He took it, awkwardly shaking it. She seemed amused as she withdrew her hand, rubbing her fingers together as though they were filthy.

Billy could smell her sweet perfume lingering around him. She was dressed smartly, like a lady in London. His voice stalled in his throat, unsure what to say. His blue eyes darted to the back of the elegantly decorated room to a group of women, dressed similarly to the madam - the only difference between the group and the madam was how they were looking at him like a piece of meat to be devoured. It made him uncomfortable.

The madam smiled warmly at him. "You must be Elle's friend."

Billy furrowed his brow, shaking his head. "I'm sorry but I don't know-"

"Up the stairs," the madam said, pointing over her shoulder. "Room five."

"But I don't-" he began.

The madam pressed a long manicured finger against his lips. "Room five." She left him alone in the foyer.

He scoffed as he watched her take her leave of him. When his eyes drifted back to the group of women, he decided to take his chances with Elle than the lot of them. He quickly climbed the stairs and found the door marked 'Five'. He carefully turned the handle, finding it unlocked.

Upon entering the room, he was shocked to see the state of the place. It was as though he had walked into the estate of a prominent figure. Everything was clean, elegant, and fresh.

His eyes turned to see Lou staring at him, just as shocked as he was. His brows furrowed. "What are you doing here?"  
"What am I doing in here?" she repeated. "What are you-"

"The lady downstairs said that 'Elle' was expecting me," he replied.

Lou's eyes closed, hand rubbing her forehead. She released a heavy sigh.

"Who's Elle?" he questioned, closing and locking the door behind him.

"That would be me," Lou replied. Billy seemed confused. She explained, "My real name is Louella. I go by Lou on the ship, and for whatever reason, she calls me Elle." Lou smirked. "Probably because she worries that my feminine side is going to vanish otherwise."

Billy's eyes ran the length of Lou before clearing his throat. He didn't think she could lose any of her femininity. Shaking his thoughts away, he turned to take in the rest of the room. "So, what are we doing here?"

"Buying a few hours," Lou stated. "We'll need to wait until morning light to go out into the market to grab supplies. During that time, my father will have come to shore to fulfill his business here."

"So..." he started, drawing the word out, unsure of himself.

She held his gaze. "We sleep until morning." She walked away from him and rolled onto the bed.

Billy stood there awkwardly for a moment. He scanned the rest of the room and settled on the puffed chair in the corner of the room. It wasn't a bed, but it was damn comfortable. The moment his eyes closed, he had fallen asleep.

The next morning, Lou woke up and stretched in the big bed. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She sat up and scanned the room. Billy was still asleep in the chair at the opposite end of the room.

Quickly and quietly, Lou stood up and headed for the door. The lock releasing from the latch echoed loudly in the room. Lou's eyes glanced over at Billy, who didn't stir. She slipped out of the room and headed down the stairs.

The madam saw her and smiled. "You look well-rested," she stated.

"Thank you for your help, Madam Rose," Lou said with a smile.

Madam Rose returned the gesture and reached out to touch Lou's cheek. "Any time you need it, Elle. Take care of yourself."

Lou gave her a quick nod before heading out. Glancing up at the darkening sky, Lou realized that a massive storm was approaching. She hoped the storm wouldn't hit until they were well on their way. She didn't want to be stuck here any longer than necessary.

Lou set out for the markets, gathering supplies as she went. She knew that she'd have to make it appear as though she had been there for a while, so she did what she could to keep the illusion up. She also kept an eye out for Harkon and his men.

Lou managed to get a large basket of different foods and spirits for the crew. She made sure to get a few extra provisions for the added men on board. She saw a merchant selling a variety of books, jewelry, clothes, and boots. She stopped to scan through them.

"See something you like?" the merchant asked.

Lou lifted her eyes to respond. Instead of focusing on the merchant, her eyes landed on the familiar frame of one of Harkon's men - the captain of one of the other ships of Harkon's fleet. Her heart stopped. She shook her head, thanking the merchant for his time before turning around and heading back down the road she had come from.

Thunder rumbled in the sky. The winds began to pick up, bending the trees and other plant life over. Lou recognized the signs. This was going to be a terrible storm. She was already feeling the rain falling onto her skin.

Pushing her way through the crowded street, she snuck a peek over her shoulder. Harkon's men were still following her. She continued pushing through the crowds, searching for a way to get off the main road. She knew she had to run and hide but was finding it difficult to get through the people.

She turned a corner and frantically searched for a new route. Her eyes found a back road, nearly hidden from the plants in front of the entrance. She took her chances and ran through the back road.

Pushing the plant leaves out of her way, she found herself in a secluded garden. While there had been a couple of doors that led inside, there was only one way in and one way out. She cursed at herself for making such a critical error. She whirled around to retreat out of the dead-end but discovered that Harkon's men had followed her.

Her breath hitched as she took a surprised step backward from them. The rain began to pour in sheets as they stood there staring at each other. Lou swallowed nervously, counting the men before her. There were four.

The Captain stepped forward, shouting over the storm, "Harkon's looking for you!" She didn't reply. He added, "Come with me and I'll take you to him."

"I'm sorry, but..." her voice trailed for a moment. "I'm late for meeting my father."  
"We'll send word to him," the man shouted. "Come with me." He took a step forward, Lou took one back. "Come on," he shouted again. "Don't be stupid!" He took another step forward. She took another backward. That last step caused Lou to back into the wall. She was trapped and those men knew it. The Captain laughed at her.

He took another step forward. "You have nowhere to go! Come with me!"

Lou refused to move from her spot. Her eyes darted behind the approaching Captain, watching the other men. She was trying to come up with a plan of action in her head. There were just too many of them for her to take on alone.

Before she knew it, the Captain was standing in front of her. He smirked as he leaned forward. He spoke loudly as thunder boomed overhead, "If you don't want to meet Harkon, perhaps we could get to know each other better!"

Lou jerked her knee up, landing a hard blow between the legs of the Captain standing before her. The moment he bent forward in pain, she slammed the basket across the man's face, knocking him to the ground.

Lou tried to run, but the Captain grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall into the wet sand. She rolled over, kicking at the man's face, but he wrapped his arms around her legs. She wiggled and bucked in his hold violently. She tried to grab his hair, pulling hard to get him to release his hold on her.

The man managed to straddle Lou, pinning her legs under his weight. Lou landed a good blow against the man's jaw and windpipe. He smacked her hard across the face before pinning her wrists into the sand.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came from out. Instead, his eyes widened in shock. Lou stared up at him, brows knitted together in confusion. The man fell over next to her; a blade sticking out of his back. Lou's eyes glanced up to see Billy standing over her, worry and anger mixed on his face.

He reached out to her, hand extended forward. She reached out for his hand and he jerked her to her feet. She tried to take her hand back, but Billy's grasp around her wrist was hard. His other hand grabbed her upper arm aggressively.

Billy brought his face close to hers. He opened his mouth to shout over the storm but stopped. Instead of saying anything, he held onto her wrist, pulling her along behind him. They picked up the basket of items she had gathered on their way out of the garden.

Lou just noticed that the other men that came with the Captain had been shot and killed. She didn't hear the gun blasts over the storm. Billy pulled Lou through the nearly abandoned streets of Bridgetown as they made their way towards the launch where her father would be waiting.

When they arrived at the launch, Billy released his hold on her. He didn't look at her the entire trip back to the ship.

Back on the ship, Wheeler ordered them to set sail for Nassau, under orders from Flint. Flint believed that they would be safer from Harkon in Nassau, and it would buy them some time to gather the necessary information to understand what was going on.

Inside the Captain's cabin, the group gathered to discuss their findings during their brief stay at Bridgetown. Flint turned to Wheeler, waiting for him to begin the meeting.

Wheeler looked at his rain-soaked daughter. "How did it go? Did you run into any problems?"

Lou's eyes quickly darted over to an equally rain-soaked Billy. He stood there, arms crossed, not looking at her. She looked back at her father and opened her mouth to speak.

Billy cleared his throat and said, "I didn't see anyone following her."

Flint's brows knitted together, eyes darting between Billy and Lou. There was tension there, but he chose to keep it to himself. He'd ask about it later.

Wheeler released a breath of relief. "That's good news."

Lou slowly glanced over to Billy. She didn't understand why he had lied to everyone about what had happened in the back alleys of Bridgetown. If he was lying, then she wasn't about to set the record straight and get him into trouble. She'd have to ask him about it later.

Wheeler turned to Flint. "Did your men discover anything of use?"

Flint slowly nodded. "It would appear you and I share a common enemy in this...Harkon," Flint stated. "He is indeed the one that attacked the ship we were on."

"Why would he do such a thing?" Clem questioned. "It doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense," Flint argued. "He's been attacking merchant ships for years from what we've been told."

"What?" Wheeler gasped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He's never attacked us-"

"Because you have her," Flint reminded him, pointing over to Lou. "Rumor has it, he won't sink your ship because of her." Flint turned to Lou and added, "And before you ask - no, we still don't know why he has this obsession with you." Lou shifted in her place uncomfortably. Flint turned back to the men and stated, "We've heard rumors that Harkon is searching for something in particular, which is why he's targeting merchant ships."

"What's he looking for?" Clem asked.

Flint shook his head. "We're still looking into that."

"Is that why we're heading for Nassau?" Wheeler questioned.

Flint nodded. "There's more loose lips there as well as those on our side. We should be able to get answers there."

"Not to mention more protection from Harkon," Gates added.

Wheeler shifted in his place. "I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with my crew and daughter to be on the island-"

"She convinced us that she was a man when we first met her," Flint said, pointing to Lou. "I think she'll be fine for a temporary stay on the island."

"I'd rather she stay on board," Wheeler replied firmly. Lou opened her mouth to interject, but her father shot her a look, ordering her silently to stay out of it.

Flint shrugged. "You do what you feel is necessary."

Lou scoffed, eyeing the lot of them. She was frustrated that no one asked her what she wanted. She was involved here, just the same as them.

Wheeler refused to look at her. He knew she was mad. Instead, he simply said, "Get some rest. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

Clem tapped Lou's shoulder, silently ordering her out of the room. He also knew that she wasn't happy with the orders. She glanced up at him, shaking her as she left the room with his pushing.

The doors closed behind the group, leaving Wheeler and Flint inside to discuss things further - Captain to Captain.

Lou stormed off towards her room on board. She needed some time to think. She left the door open as she stormed towards her desk, sifting through the papers stacked neatly in the corner. She was trying to find the documents and letters that Harkon had sent her many years ago. She knew they were in there somewhere. She hoped that if she could find them, they might explain something she missed.

A voice cleared behind her, causing her to whirl around. Her eyes landed on Billy. He had closed the door behind him when he entered. She narrowed her eyes at him, dropping the papers back onto the desk.

"We need to talk," he stated, carefully taking a step forward. He spoke quietly, in case the walls were thin.

She crossed her arms. "I suppose we do." She walked around the desk and leaned up against the front of it. "Where should we start?"

Billy closed the gap between them, leaving a small distance between them. He towered over her. "How about we start with what the fuck happened earlier?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific," she whispered. She knew there were too many things that had happened in Bridgetown. She wasn't about to talk about the wrong thing and start a whole new battle over it.

Billy's eyes never left hers. "You left without me," he hissed.

"That?" she gasped. "That's what you're upset over?"

He leaned closer to her, speaking sharply, "It was my job to watch you!" She was about to retort when he shook his head angrily, stopping her from speaking. He added, "You're lucky that I found you in time."

"You were sleeping," she stated softly. "I didn't want to disturb you." He scoffed and she continued before he had a chance to speak, "Besides, I've managed this long without needing a bodyguard."

He laughed. "You've managed?" he chuckled again. "And what were you going to do with those men," he asked. "Before I got there to take care of all of them for you?"

"I'm not completely useless, you know," she said, trying to sound convincing.

He let his head fall slightly, shaking his head. He was slightly amused and slightly annoyed at the same time. "You could have been killed," he reminded her. "Had I not..."

"Why did you lie?" she interrupted.

His eyes lifted to meet hers. "Because I killed four Naval men. That's going to come back to me."

She shook her head. "No, it won't."

"It will," he replied. "It always does."

She held his stare for a moment in silence before saying, "Not if I take the blame."

A small smile graced his lips before saying, "You couldn't even take one man down, let alone four. You can't even defend yourself."

"That's not true-" she began.

He pulled a knife out from his belt. She tensed at the movements, unsure of what he was about to do. He grabbed her wrist aggressively, causing her to try and jerk it away. His grip was too strong. He placed his knife into her hand, releasing her wrist.

She stood there, staring at the knife. Raising an eyebrow, she turned her gaze to him. "What? What are you doing?"

"Attack me," he whispered.

"You want me to-" she started.

He nodded, stepping back a few feet. "Attack me," he said, arms spread out to his sides, showing he was unarmed.

Lou scoffed, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I'm not going to attack you." He didn't move. She shook her head, turning slightly to deposit the knife onto the desk.

Within the seconds it took her to turn her attention away from him, Billy closed the distance quickly, knocking her backward onto the desk. He pinned her down on the top, weight crushing her as he held her down.

Lou struggled under his grip, taken off guard by his sudden attack. She met his hardened gaze. "Get off me."

"Fight back," he whispered. "You've got to learn to fight back."

"I know how to fight," she tried to say.

"Not from what I've seen," he argued.

"I told you that I wasn't going to fight you-"

He cut her off. "I need to see what you know so that I know what to teach you," he stated. "So far, all I've seen from you is how to get pinned down under a man."

Her eyes studied Billy's. He wasn't entirely wrong and she knew it. She blinked a few times, nodding. "Okay."

The moment his grip loosened, she pushed his chest hard, shoving him off of her. She grasped the knife he had given her and lunged for him.

Billy had been taken off guard by her sudden change of heart and narrowly missed getting sliced by his own knife. He dodged her initial attack but managed to grab her attacking arm, twisting it around her back, and slamming her front side into the desktop. He leaned over her back and whispered, "Not bad, but you can do better."

She slammed her boot heel into his shin, causing him to step backward, loosening his grip on her again. She grabbed a heavy book from her desk, whirling around to smack him in the face. His arm blocked the attack, allowing her to kick him in the stomach, sending him back a couple of steps.

As she went to swing the book at him again, he jerked it from her grip, sending her tumbling to the floor. Tossing the book to the side, he quickly pinned her back down on the floor. She wriggled underneath him.

Both panting heavily, staring at each other. He nodded as he whispered, "That's a good start, Elle."

"Don't call me that," she hissed through her teeth.

"Why not?" he asked, eyes lingering at her lips.

She sighed. "Get off of me."

Billy could see a wave of emotions wash over her features. He wasn't sure what had happened. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied. "Just get off of me."

He sighed, pushing off of the floor, pulling her to her feet as he stood up. Once she was on her feet, she refused to look at him. He tilted his head in confusion. "Hey, you all right?"

She gave a half-hearted nod. "Fine. Are we done here?"

He swallowed, still wondering what had happened, but he took his leave of her, saying no more. He closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in her room.


	4. Still Of The Night

The next morning, Lou woke up to the bright light seeping through the windows. She forced herself up and looked out the window. Clear blue skies without a trace of clouds.

A knock landed on her door, breaking her gaze outside. "Lou? Are you awake?"

She turned and headed to the door. Upon opening it, she was face to face with her father. His face wore an expression that concerned her. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing is wrong," he stated. "I wanted to see how you're holding up."

Lou eyed him suspiciously. She could see that something was wrong - the fact that he didn't want to tell her concerned her even more. She chose to let it go for now and wait until the moment to push him into telling her later emerged. "I'm fine."

"The men said they heard a scuffle in your room last night," Wheeler admitted. "Said that boy Billy left shortly after."

"Oh," Lou sighed, waving the comment aside. "Teaching me how to fight."

His eyes narrowed at her. "You know how to fight."

She shrugged. "I guess not well enough."  
Wheeler slowly nodded as he took in her story. "Well," he began. "Best come up to the deck. We'll be approaching Nassau tonight."

Lou nodded, closing the door behind her as she followed her father up to the deck. The men were working hard, including Flint's men. Her eyes scanned the deck, hoping to spot Billy, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"We should be arriving at Nassau shortly after sunset," Flint's voice spoke behind them.

Lou turned to watch the exchange between her father and Flint. Flint's eyes drifted over to her, lingering on her neck for a moment before turning back to Wheeler. She knew that her neck was bruised from when his man, Singleton, had grabbed her that first day.

Wheeler nodded. "Very good," he replied. "Are you sure that this is the best course of action?"

"Nassau is under pirate rule," Flint explained. "If this Harkon tries to come into port, the fort there will protect us - as well as the rest of the island - from whatever plan he might come up with."

"What if he doesn't fly his colors?" Lou questioned.

Flint eyed her for a moment. "It's the safest option for everyone."

Lou sighed, knowing he wasn't about to go into further detail with her standing there. She glanced between her father and Flint before walking away from them.

That evening, Billy emerged from the lower decks and took a walk on deck. He hadn't seen Lou all day and wondered if she had been avoiding him. He stopped when he saw a familiar frame laying on the beam of the bowsprit.

The closer he got, his suspicions of who it was had been confirmed. He stopped next to the rail, studying her. "What are you doing?"

"Watching the stars," Lou replied quietly.

He stared at her. She seemed almost serene laying there. "Want me to leave?"

She glanced down at him. "You're free to choose what you do."

"You avoiding me?" he asked.

She chuckled, looking back up to the sky. "Should I be?"

He leaned against the railing. "We'll be coming up on Nassau soon."

"I've heard," she replied flatly.

He fidgeted with his laced fingers before saying, "Flint's called a meeting. They want you there."

She sighed, sitting up. "Why? It's not like they're going to listen to anything I have to say."

"I think it has more to do with what part you're going to play when we arrive," he admitted.

She smirked at him. "I'm sure."

He extended his hand out towards her, offering to help her off the bowsprit. Her eyes landed on his hand, almost afraid to take it. She hesitated but eventually took his outstretched hand.

His hands were calloused and warm, whereas hers were chilled. He wondered how long she had been laying out there. She released his hand and began to head towards the Captain's Cabin. Billy followed her across the deck in silence.

The two entered the Captain's Cabin where Gates, Flint, Clem, and Wheeler were already waiting for them. Flint nodded his thanks to Billy for tracking down Lou.

"Now that we're all here," Flint started. "I think we should begin with what roles everyone will have once we arrive at Nassau."

Gates sat down and explained, "We plan on leaving a couple of our men on board while the rest head to the island." He turned to Wheeler and said, "Just to make sure that none of the pirates there take advantage of the ship."

Lou narrowed her eyes at the choice of words.

Flint added, "I will escort you both to meet with Richard Guthrie-"

Wheeler cut him off. "Richard Guthrie? From London?"

Flint nodded curtly. "The same."

"I didn't believe it when I heard he was there," Wheeler admitted.

Flint nodded and explained Guthrie's enterprises on the island. When he was finished, he added, "I believe we might be able to get some assistance from him."

Lou had been standing in the room in silence for most of the meeting. They had yet to address her role, let alone speak to her. She finally cleared her throat. "And what is my role in all of this?"

Flint shifted his eyes over to Wheeler. Wheeler looked at her sadly before saying, "You're staying on board."

"What?" she scoffed. "Why? I can help-"

"I need someone who I trust to stay with the ship," Wheeler tried to explain. "Besides, I don't want the men on that island to...to..."

She smirked. "What? Sully your only child?" She shook her head, clearly frustrated. "I fooled them into believing that I was a man, why not here?" she asked, motioning toward Flint and his men.

"Too many pirates can tell the difference between a man and a woman," Flint replied. Lou glared at him as she listened to his sudden shift in opinion. "Besides, you'd be a target for looking more like a boy than a man."

"It's for the best, Lou," Clem said reassuringly. "You'll be safer here anyway."

"I think you're making a mistake," she stated. "I could be of use to you on the island-"

Wheeler finally snapped at her. "That's enough! You have your orders."

She gritted her teeth, standing almost at attention. "Yes sir," she spat through gritted teeth. She glared at the men in the room before turning and taking her leave of the meeting. She didn't need to hear any more about their plans. They didn't want her involvement.

Lou knew that she was acting like a petulant child regarding all of this, but she had become too frustrated by how things were being handled. She was involved in this, whether anyone wanted to admit it or not. She felt she should have a say in this planning, regardless of how small of a say.

She didn't emerge from her room until she heard the call for land. It was late in the evening as she stood on deck watching the island of Nassau appear.

The men began preparing the launches. Wheeler turned to Lou and said, "I need you to hold things down here while we're gone."

"Of course," she replied sarcastically. "That's what I do best."

Wheeler rolled his eyes at her. "I know you're angry, but this is for the best."

"How long are you planning on being gone for?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I can't say."

She sighed, drifting her gaze back to the island. She saw other ships in the harbor. She could hear laughing and lively noises drifting towards them from the island.

Wheeler placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll send word as soon as I can."

He climbed into the launch behind Flint. Lou watched as the launches made their way towards Nassau. She crossed her arms as she watched them row further away from the ship, shaking her head slightly.

Lou didn't like the fact that the ship was now a skeleton crew while they waited for them to return. She wanted to believe Flint when he said that they'd be safe in Nassau, but her experiences with being in ports had told her that there was never a truly safe place for them - for her.

She turned and headed down to her room. As she entered the abandoned deck, her eyes lifted to meet a familiar frame standing on the opposite end of the room. "You stayed?" she asked, clearly stunned.

Billy shrugged. "I didn't have a reason to leave." She opened her mouth to say something, but words had failed her. He stayed where he was and said, "I figured that since we have all this room, we shouldn't let it go to waste."

Her eyes darted around the room, confused. "What do you mean?"

He crossed his arms across his broad chest. "We have time and space to practice your fighting. I don't want you to hold back, because I won't."

She smirked. "You want to fight me...again?"

"Unless you're afraid I'll win again," he retorted.

"You didn't win," she countered.

He chuckled. "You were pinned on the ground underneath me."

"I had you right where I wanted you," she claimed, a coy smile appearing on her lips.

He smiled back. "Is that so?" She gave a half shrug and he added, "Prove it."

She shook her head, starting to walk across the room. He watched her carefully, knowing that she had once caught him off guard before. She stopped in front of him. "I'm not going to fight you."

"You've said that before," his voice growled softly.

She couldn't resist smiling at him. She shrugged, starting to turn from him. The moment he reached out and touched her shoulder, she defended herself.

She rolled her shoulder out from under his grasp. She slammed her elbow into his chest, causing him to stumble back a step. He grabbed her arm as she went to swing her elbow into his face.

He bent her forward, grabbing the back of her pants, and tossing her across the room like a ragdoll. She landed hard, rolling a short distance. She heard his boots stomping across the room and scrambled to her feet.

She grabbed a chair, swinging it as she stood, striking him in the side. The chair shattered into pieces from the blow. He tried to grab her again, but she twisted from his reach.

She bent down, picking up a broken leg from the chair and swung it at him. He dodged the attacks, waiting patiently for her to either tire from swinging or give him an opportunity to attack.

In mid-swing, he snatched the chair leg before it smacked him in the face. He yanked it out from her grasp, throwing it to the ground behind him. He took a few steps forward, wrapping his arms around her waist. She laced her fingers together, forming a large fist and slammed it into his back as he picked her up.

The two slammed up against the wall of the room. All the air in her lungs escaped from behind her lips. She grimaced in pain for a moment before stomping on his feet and bringing her knee to his nose. He collapsed to the ground.

She picked up another broken chair piece and jumped on his waist, pinning him down with the leg of the chair on his neck. They were panting, staring into each other's eyes. "I won," she panted.

He grabbed her, rolling them over so he was on top. "So you can fight," he said, gasping for air. He took the chair leg from her, tossing it to the side as he turned his gaze back to her.

She whispered, "I told you-"

"So, what happened before?" he asked.

"When?" she questioned.

"Bridgetown," he reminded her. "Why didn't you defend yourself?"

She studied his blue eyes for a moment, thinking about what to say. "I don't know...I think I was taken by surprise at how many there were..."

"That's not a good enough answer, Elle," he stated.

"I told you not to call me that," she said, averting her gaze.

He furrowed his brow, unmoving. "Why? What's wrong with my calling you that?"

She turned her brown eyes back to him. "That's not my name."

"The lady at the brothel calls you that," he pointed out.

"She's different," Lou stated. "It helps keep me hidden from Harkon if he asks the girls there about me."

Billy finally understood. "If he's asking about a girl named 'Lou', and they've only known you by 'Elle'...makes sense."

She pushed him gently. "Get off of me."

He smirked at how similar their fights had been. He helped her to her feet as he stood up. She sighed, nodding her thanks to him, but her smile disappeared.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Listen," she whispered. "Do you hear that?"

He listened for a moment and shook his head. "It's quiet."

"Too quiet," she replied. "Not even a footstep..." She turned her worried gaze towards him. "Something's wrong."

Billy's expression hardened. She was right. The ship was deathly quiet. He carefully made his way to the stairs to ascend to the upper deck. Lou was close by - he could feel her hands, gripping the back of his shirt, near the belt.

They stepped out into the cool night air. Scanning the decks, there were no signs of the crew about. It was as though they had just vanished.

Billy turned to look at Lou, but his eyes widened as he glanced over her shoulder. He grabbed her waist, tossing her behind him as he quickly blocked the attack coming for them.

Lou whirled around to see that Billy was outnumbered by men she didn't recognize. She jumped to her feet ready to help him but was halted by a large man, towering over her. Her eyes widened at his sudden appearance.

Billy took a few blows to the jaw as he tried to stand his ground. He slammed his body against one of his assailants, lifting him off the ground, and tossed him over the side of the ship, landing in the water with a splash.

He turned and skillfully dodged the next blow that was coming for him. He grabbed the man's arm and wrist holding a sword and slammed it into the man's face, causing him to drop the weapon. Billy snatched the sword off the ground and plunged it into the man closest to him, killing him.

Lou stared up at the large man coming towards her. She grabbed a priming iron that leaned up against the mast nearby, holding it in front of her as a makeshift sword.

The man chuckled as he watched her do this. He swung his massive sword towards her. She defended herself with the priming iron, nearly losing her grip from the sheer force of the blow. She forced her arm up to parry again. By the third block, the man smacked the iron from her grip, sending it hurtling over the edge of the ship.

She went running to grab a different weapon, but the man, despite his size, grabbed her quickly, getting her into a chokehold. She struggled against him but knew it was pointless. He was twice her size. He maneuvered them over to where Billy and the rest of them were still fighting.

"That's quite enough!" a voice shouted overhead. Billy's eyes darted up to see that Lou was in a chokehold.

The men Billy had been fighting, kicked him behind the knee, forcing him to kneel. They aimed their guns at him, keeping him from moving.

Footsteps descending from the Captain's Cabin could be heard as they approached the group. Lou's eyes widened as she watched Lieutenant Harkon stop before Billy.

"I admire your spirit," Harkon stated, looking down at Billy. "But I'm afraid it won't save you from being run through."

Lou saw Harkon draw his sword. Her heart stopped for a moment, mouth ran dry. She feared for Billy. She felt the large man holding her loosen his grip. She took that opportunity to sink her teeth into his arm, allowing her to break free from his hold. She slid out from under his arm, rushing forward towards Billy as quickly as she could muster.

Just as Harkon pulled his sword back to stab Billy, Lou slid in front of him, shielding him from the impending strike. Harkon halted his thrust when he spotted Lou suddenly before Billy on her knees.

He laughed. "What are you doing?" he asked her. "Protecting a pirate? You do realize that's treason?"

She swallowed nervously, holding his amused and annoyed gaze. "Please...don't-"

"Don't want?" Harkon asked, smirk still on his face.

She licked her lips, carefully thinking of the words to use. "If you promise me to leave those on board free from harm," she started. "...I'll come with you."

Billy exhaled sharply. He couldn't believe what she had said. He muttered under his breath, knowing she would be the only one to hear him, "Don't..."

"Don't harm anyone," she repeated, sounding more confident this time. "And I'll come with you..."

Harkon studied her for a moment before moving the tip of his sword towards her face. He placed the flat side under her chin, forcing her to look up at him, and instilling fear in both Billy and Lou. "You'll come with me...willingly?"

Lou inhaled sharply, fearing that he would slice her face or neck open with his sword. She blinked away any tears that might betray her to fear. "Yes," she said, trying to sound as confident as she did moments before but the cracks in her voice were betraying her.

Billy's heart dropped hearing her say those words. He feared what would happen, not just to him, but to her. There was no way of knowing whether to trust the word of Harkon. He had seen the scars that marred Lou's back - the ones that spelled out this man's name. He didn't want to fathom what he'd do to her once she agreed to go with him.

Harkon's eyes drifted from Lou to Billy. "Why would you risk your life for that of a pirate?" He turned back to Lou, lifting the tip of the sword under her chin, causing her to stand up before him. He removed the sword from her and lowered it. "Very well. I'll agree to your terms. I won't harm any of them."

She sighed a breath of relief. Billy glanced up to see the butt of a musket coming down onto his temple. Before the darkness consumed him, he heard Lou screaming his name.


	5. Treacherous Waters

"Billy?" a familiar voice echoed within his ears. "Billy? You all right?" Billy opened his eyes, slowly blinking his vision into focus. His head was pounding. He furrowed his brow up at the three men looming over him as they stared back. He bolted upright. "Lou!"

"She's gone, mate," Gates informed him. Billy tried to stand up, but Gates placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from doing so. "Easy...easy."

"We have to go after her."

"First, you have to tell us what happened," Gates reminded him.

Billy's blue eyes darted between Flint, Gates, and Wheeler. Billy struggled to think of how to tell them what happened. "They took her," he managed to say.

"Who?" Wheeler demanded. "Who took her?"

"Harkon," Billy said, blinking at the admittance. "Harkon and his men were here..."

"How is that possible?" Wheeler asked. He turned to Flint. "You said he wouldn't come here! You said she'd be safest on board-"

"I guess I was wrong. It's not something that happens often, but it does happen," Flint spat back. "But now's not the time to pass off the blame. We have to find out where they went." He turned towards Billy and asked, "Did he say anything about where he was heading?"

Billy shook his head. Harkon barely spoke a word. He was replaying the incident over in his head. Harkon didn't have to say anything. He knew just what to do to get Lou to go with him.

"I'm responsible," he muttered. Gates' raised his eyebrow, glancing over to Wheeler to see his reaction.

Wheeler, though visibly angry, shook his head at Billy. "No, you're not responsible. I am," he replied. "As much as it pains me to admit it..."

Gates helped Billy to his feet and into the Captain's Cabin. Once Billy was seated into a chair, he began to regale them of what had taken place onboard the ship. When he concluded, he glanced over to Wheeler, almost afraid of how the man would react.

"She went willingly?" Wheeler asked, unable to fathom why.

Flint eyed Billy. Billy knew that his captain had already connected the dots. He just hoped that nothing would be said in front of the girl's father.

Flint stated, "We think we might know what it is that Harkon is after." Billy turned his attention back to Flint and waited. Flint admitted, "I think it's a far fetched story but-"

Gates cleared his throat and explained, "Rumor has it that a sword of legend is in transit to the Americas. Harkon wants it."

Billy's brows knitted together. "What do you mean by that? What 'sword of legend'?"

Gates quickly glanced up at Flint and Wheeler before addressing Billy. "There's an old Irish legend that states that the wielder of this particular sword could get the truth from his enemies if it was held against their throats." Images of Harkon's sword at Lou's neck flashed before his eyes before Gates added, "And it is said to cut through any shield or wall, not to mention the ability to leave a man unable to recover from the wounds inflicted by it."

Billy chuckled, thinking this was a joke. When no one else was laughing, he asked, "You're serious?" Gates gave an unconvinced shrug. None believed this sword to be real, yet Harkon seemed to. "What makes him believe this sword is real?" Billy questioned. He didn't believe in fairy tales, so he wasn't buying this theory.

Flint sighed, "I am not convinced it exists, but it's the only lead we have to go by."

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Billy spat. "We're supposed to believe that this man is chasing swords of myth?"

Flint shrugged. "It would explain why he's been attacking merchant ships over the past ten years."

"How does any of this help me find my daughter?" Wheeler asked.

Flint's gaze drifted back to the captain. "We know what he wants. That means we have a chance to find it before he does."

"Assuming it exists," Wheeler retorted. "And then what?"

"We trade the sword for your daughter," Flint stated plainly.

Gates could see Flint growing annoyed by the conversation. He stayed quiet to observe how it would unfold.

Wheeler shook his head. "That's all well and good, except that while we're off searching for this mythical sword, my daughter is going through God knows what-"

"We will find her," Gates interjected. "But we need a bargaining chip first."

Wheeler ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head again as his eyes dropped to his feet. "She's going to die at his hand..."

The room grew silent with that admission. Billy opened his mouth to say something but Gates shot him a look, warning him to stay silent. He swallowed his words, feeling the pain in his chest for failing Lou.

After a moment, Flint cleared his throat. "We're setting sail in a few hours. Finish whatever you need to onshore before then."

With that said, Flint and Gates began to leave the captain behind. Billy fell in step behind his captain as they left.

"What are we going to do?" Billy asked as they continued up the stairs to the deck.

Flint ignored Billy, turning his focus onto Gates. "Find out what you can on this sword. You have an hour."

"That's not a lot of time," Gates told him. He sighed. "I'll see what I can do...just...don't leave without me."

Flint gave him a curt nod. When Gates left to head back to shore, Flint turned his attention back to Billy. "You and I need to talk."

"I already told you-"

"I want you to tell me everything you can about this Harkon and the men he had with him," Flint explained. "I need to know everything, including the bits you left out when Wheeler was in the room."

Billy's eyes grew wide. His throat dried. He forced himself to nod. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll tell you everything..."

Lou's eyes slowly began to open. The room seemed blurry to her as she tried to adjust to the dim lighting. Blinking a few times, she tried to remember where she was. The creaking of the ship didn't sound familiar to her.

As the memory of watching Harkon nearly kill Billy on her ship came rushing back, she bolted upright. Pain seared through her temple from the swift movement. Her hands grabbed her head, cradling it and wishing the pain away. "Ugh..." she moaned.

Hissing slightly as the pain began to subside, Lou stood up slowly, taking in her surroundings. Bars surrounded her, sans the side of the ship. There had been the cot she had woken up on and a small crate for a chair or table, but nothing else.

She moved across the cell toward the door. Metal scraping behind her echoed in the empty brig. She glanced down at her foot and spotted the manacle and chain secured around her ankle. Bending down to get a better look at it, she noticed that it had been secured to the center of the cell.

She sighed, collapsing onto the floor. She realized at that moment how serious her situation was. She wasn't just a prisoner but a plaything for Harkon. She knew that something like this was a possibility when she agreed to go with the crazed man, but she didn't think there would be cells and chains involved.

"You're awake," a familiar voice spoke behind her.

Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Harkon standing by the stairs, staring at her. She didn't move.

He crossed the room and stopped a couple of feet from the bars. He motioned to them. "I'm sorry about this," he began. "But it's for your safety."

She scoffed. "My safety? From you?"

"My crew," he corrected. "I can't guarantee your safety from them."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't control your men?"

He gave a small smile. "They follow orders, but men who haven't seen a woman, let alone been with a woman in a long while are much harder to direct."

She swallowed nervously. "So, you put me in here to protect my virtue?"

"I'm not such a terrible man after all, am I?" he mocked. He moved slightly closer to the bars. "In all seriousness, Louella, I am trying to protect you."

"Why the chain?" she asked, dropping it to the floor. She pushed herself to her feet. "The bars aren't enough?"

Harkon smirked at her. "I will return later."

"What?" she said. "Where are you going?"

"I have business to attend to."

"Business? What business?"

He stopped at the base of the stairs. "You'll see soon enough." With that said, he marched up the stairs, leaving Lou alone in her cell.

Gates had returned to the ship within an hour as promised. The moment his feet hit the deck, he sought Flint out. Clem spotted him and rushed over. "Any word?"

Gates blinked at him. "Nothing much of use."

"What do you mean?" Clem asked. "No one knew anything?"

Gates sighed. He could see that Clem was worried about Lou. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "We will get her back, I promise."

"You can't make that kind of promise," Clem replied. "You don't know Harkon."

"You're right, but I have seen Lou handle herself. I think she'll be fine," Gates admitted.

Clem watched as Gates turned away from him and met up with Flint. He could see them exchanging some words before heading into the captain's quarters.

The moment the door closed behind them, Flint asked, "What did you find out?"

Gates inhaled deeply. "It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that not many onshore were familiar with the sword in question."

Flint studied Gates for a moment. "But you found something, I take it?"

Gates nodded. "The sword does exist and someone knew the general area in which to go."

"How reliable is this information?" Flint asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Gates gave him a disbelieving look. "You know how it is," he started. "With enough booze and sex, a man will spill all of his secrets to a woman he thinks loves him." Flint rolled his eyes. Gates continued, "I managed to convince said man into giving me the details."

Flint smirked but asked for no further explanation. "Where do we set sail to?"

"Ponta Delgada," Gates stated.

Flint blinked at his friend. "You're joking."  
Gates shook his head. "The man said there would be a ship taking the sword from another crew to transfer it over to the Americas."

"That's several weeks sail," Flint pointed out. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Very well. Set sail. Keep quiet on the details."

"Discretion is my name," Gates said, chuckling slightly as he left Flint alone.

Flint didn't like what Gates had discovered. He knew that it would be a rough trip to reach Ponta Delgada. If what Gates had learned proved true, then Harkon would be heading there as well. He wondered how he could beat the man there. He hated being two steps behind his enemy.

He had to turn the tides of this battle and soon.

Lou spent her days alone in her cell. The only time she saw another person had been when Harkon brought food to her. She had become familiar with the brig and noticed the keys to her cell hanging on the wall opposite to her cell, clearly out of reach. She had tried to find something to knock them off the peg they hung upon, but there simply wasn't anything.

Lou stretched out on her cot, staring up at the ceiling. She could see the shadows of men moving on the deck above her. None seemed to be in a hurry. She didn't know what time of day it was. The last time she saw the world, it was evening - the same evening she had been taken from her ship and from Billy.

Thinking about Billy had stirred up emotions Lou hadn't expected to have. She didn't know if he still lived after the hit he took. She didn't know if Flint had decided to bid her father and crew farewell after Harkon took her. She knew that she couldn't rely on a rescue. She was alone.

Lou felt the ship slowing down. She sat up, throwing her legs over the side of her cot. The chain around her ankle clattered to the floor loudly. Men's voices shouted on deck but she couldn't make out what had been said. When the ship stopped completely, she held her breath, listening carefully.

Glancing over to the lantern hanging from the ceiling, she saw that it no longer swung side to side. She knew something was wrong - she could feel it in her bones.

The hatch to the brig opened with a creak. It wasn't much longer before she could hear the heavy footsteps of boots approaching. Rounding the corner, Harkon and one of his men stood before her.

"What's going on?" she asked, eyes darting between the men.

Harkon's head tilted to the side. "We're dead in the water."

She shook the confusion away. "What?"

"I've decided that you could use some air," Harkon stated. He gave a curt nod to his man, who grabbed the keys to her cell off of the wall behind them. The man approached the cell and started to finger through the numerous keys on the ring.

Harkon added, "Don't do anything stupid, Louella. I'm warning you."

Lou swallowed her nerves. She watched as the man finally found the correct key and the cell door opened with a clank. He approached her cautiously, bending down to her ankle, only to repeat the process of finding the correct key. The moment her ankle had been released from its binds, she sighed a breath of relief.

Harkon motioned to her to come to him. "Come."

She eyed him cautiously but obeyed. She knew that she would have to pick her moment and doing anything while still in the brig would be a bad choice.

Harkon snaked his arm around her as he escorted her to the top deck.

As they stepped out onto the deck, Lou closed her eyes briefly as the fresh sea air hit her in the face. She took a deep breath in, holding it for a moment before releasing it. She opened her eyes and looked around.

"Why have we stopped?" she asked, glancing out at the open ocean.

Harkon motioned to the sails. "No wind. We're having to wait on God's timing now."

Lou suddenly found herself praying to God to keep the wind away forever. She'd rather die in the middle of the ocean by cabin fever than see Harkon succeed in whatever plan he had.

Harkon broke her concentration as he motioned forward. "Please," he said. "Let's have a nice walk on deck."

She walked beside him, carefully watching the men around them. She could feel their eyes on her. She understood the need for the cell and wanted to retreat back into it as soon as possible.

Quickly glancing up at the sky, Lou guessed the time to be in the late afternoon. The sky was perfectly blue with no clouds in the sky for miles. The water remained still. She knew her only hope - if her father and Flint were pursuing them - would be the wind was favorable for them and not Harkon.

After their stroll about the deck, Harkon escorted Lou back to her cell. He replaced the shackle around her ankle himself. She asked, "Is that really necessary?"

He glanced up at her as he finished securing it tightly around her. Standing up, he held her stare. "I am sorry. This isn't how I expected to welcome you aboard."

She blinked, breaking their connection. Harkon turned from her and closed the cell door behind him, locking it. He replaced the keys on the peg. He turned back to her once more. "I'll be back later this evening with your dinner."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he had marched out of the brig, leaving her alone once more.

Flint lowered the spyglass from his face. He handed it over to Gates. "That's quite a storm up ahead."

Gates peered into the spyglass. "Should we head around?" Flint stared at the darkening clouds, deep in thought. Gates lowered the spyglass and turned his eyes over to him. "Cap'n?"

Flint shook his head. "No. Hold the course."

Gates scoffed. "Are you mad?"

"We need the wind to get to our destination," Flint reminded him. "If we go around, we could be sitting dead in the water."

"And going through that," Gates added, motioning to the dark clouds. "could result in a damaged ship and we'd still be sitting dead in the water."

"It's a risk," Flint admitted, turning his gaze to Gates. "But one we have to take."

"This isn't the Walrus," Gates reminded him. "This is a merchant ship...a very large one at that."

Flint's jaw tensed as he turned away from Gates. "Hold the course. Tell the men to prepare."

Gates shook his head. "Crazy bastard."

As the merchant ship entered the center of the storm, the waves tossed the ship violently about. The crew continued to man their posts as best as they could, keeping the ship on course through.

The rain poured in sheets onto the men and the deck. The deck grew slippery underfoot as the rain created a thin layer of water. The clouds were heavy and dark, making the men feel as though it were midnight. The only light they had came from the occasional flash of lightning. Thunder boomed overhead, sometimes snapping loudly which made the men flinch instinctively.

Gates remained near the helm with Wheeler and Clem. Wheeler shouted over the storm to Gates, "He's crazy!"

Gates laughed. "You have no idea!"

"He'll kill us all!" Wheeler shouted back.

"We'll make it through!" Gates shouted. He wanted to believe his words, but he found himself doubting himself. Flint was a crazy person but he knew Flint well enough to know that the man always had a plan and somehow, it always worked well in the end.

A massive waved crashed into the port side of the ship. The ship rolled slightly as it adjusted on the waves.

"Man overboard on the starboard!" the shout could barely be heard over the storm.

"Did anyone see who?" Wheeler shouted, but his voice was lost. He started to make his way over to the side, but Clem held him back.

"Another man overboard on the starboard!"

"We're going to have no crew left by the time we get out of here!" Wheeler shouted to Clem. Wheeler turned his angry gaze to Gates. "Tell him to get us out of here!"

"And go where?" Gates asked over the storm. "The only way out is through! And that's where we're heading!"

The sound of wood cracking in two echoed overhead. As the crew turned their eyes upward, they watched as one of the beams for the sails came crashing down to the deck.

"Watch out!" the warning came. Men scattered to clear the beam's fall. It hit the deck, splintering the rails of the ship, sending bits of debris into the storm.

Another monstrous wave slammed into the port side of the ship. The ship began to roll, throwing some men overboard. Some men fell to the deck, sliding across the floor.

"Everyone to port!" the order could be heard. Every man clawed their way to the port side of the ship as quickly as they could.

Flint threw himself onto the railing of the port side of the ship, clutching it as tightly as he could. The waves washed over him as it slammed into the ship.

The ship slowly rolled back to correct itself. The men slid off the side of the ship back to the deck.

"Sky!" the man in the crow's nest shouted. "I see sky!"

Gates turned back to Wheeler. "We're almost out of here."

As the ship began its exit from the storm, things began to calm. The rain began to break and the sun warmed the soaking wet crew up. The crew turned to watch the terrible storm as it continued across the ocean behind them.

Flint turned to Gates. "Get the ship repaired as best as you can. We have to press forward to Ponta Delgada."

Gates nodded and headed down to the deck to assess the damage the storm left behind in its wake. He knew it wouldn't be pretty. He also needed a headcount to see how many were lost.

Billy met Gates halfway. "I've done a headcount...and it's not good. We lost three of our men but...Wheeler? He lost at least twice that."

Gates nodded. "I'll make sure he knows."

Billy glanced about the deck. "Was this really the best course of action?"

Gates gave him a look of disbelief. "Between you and me, no. Don't go spouting that off to anyone or I'll deny it."

"So, why did we just destroy the ship by going through that storm instead of around?"

"Best if you don't ask too many questions," Gates warned him. "Just make sure this ship gets fixed... we need to make good time if we're to beat Harkon to his destination."

"Is that even possible?" Billy questioned. "I mean, he did have at least two days on us."

Gates tilted his head to the side with a small shrug. "I guess it's all up to fate now."

Billy sighed as he watched Gates walk away from him. He shook his head and turned to assess the damage the mast took. He knew it would take the better part of a day or two to hoist that mainsail back up where it belonged. He wasn't looking forward to that task.


	6. The Game Changer

Lou paced in her cell, fanning herself with her hand. It had been days since there was any kind of breeze. She felt like the walls of the brig had been closing in on her a little bit every day. She felt like she was suffocating.

Harkon's men hadn't moved much on the decks above her either. The silence bothered her. She knew what cabin fever could do to grown men and she wondered if God answered her prayers to keep the wind at bay for as long as possible... and she began to question if she made a mistake.

A scuffle on the deck above her broke out. The slamming of chairs and bodies against the floor sent dirt between the floorboards and onto her. She moved aside, staring up at the ceiling. The men were fighting, egging on the fight.

As she heard the fight being broken up and voices shouting, fear crept upon her. She feared having a cellmate over the brawl. She glanced about the brig, wondering where they'd put a man if he had to be imprisoned. She saw nothing but her cell.

The hatch to the brig opened and she could hear the footsteps of someone coming. She swallowed her nerves, palms becoming sweaty. She felt her heart beating faster behind her ribs as she waited to see who had joined her.

Harkon's first mate rounded the corner. He had taken off his uniform and hat. Sweat dripped down his temples from the heat. He locked gazes with her and offered a small smile. "You look worried."

"I heard a fight," she stated, trying to remain calm.

The first mate smirked. "Are you afraid I'd put one of my men in there with you?" He approached the bars and asked, "Don't you want company?"

Her mouth went dry. She studied his body language for a moment. "I-I would rather not..."

He laughed, turning to retrieve the keys from the peg. He turned back, flipping the keys on the ring. He began to open the cell door. "Mind if I join you for a bit?"

"I'm rather tired, actually," she lied, taking a step back. The chain around her ankle scraped along the floor.

The lock to the door clanked loudly. He pushed the cell door open. The creak echoed loudly in the brig. He approached her. "I thought that we could spend some time together.."

She tensed. Memories of Harkon ordering his men to hold her down so he could carve his name into her back came rushing forward. He had called that quality time back then. She feared what this man would do with her.

He saw her reaction. "Do I make you nervous?"

She took a step back as he took another toward her. "I just...I..."

He laughed. "Don't worry," he said, holding his arms out to his sides. "I'm unarmed."

That didn't help her nerves. She took another step back. He smiled at her as he continued toward her. When the chain jerked her to a stop, she glanced down. She had run out of slack and felt trapped.

He stood before her, inches away. He ran his hand down the side of her face, along her jaw, and down her neck. He paused at the nape of her neck. "I am sorry you're all alone down here."

"Harkon's been busy," she muttered. "I understand."

"You're trembling," he pointed out. "Are you cold?"

She shook her head, willing her nerves to stop. "I'm fine."

"Do I make you nervous?" he asked. He removed his hand and stared at her. Taking a deep breath in, she nodded slowly.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he whispered, leaning closer to her. Lou could feel his hot breath against her skin and the stench of rum that lingered in the air. "I promise to be gentle."

Lou squeezed her eyes closed, tears beginning to escape from the corners. A small whimper came from behind her lips as the man raised his hand to cradle her head.

The first mate was jerked away from her suddenly. Lou's eyes flew open. She watched as the man tumbled to the ground and Harkon stood over him. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The first mate opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance. Harkon's fist met the man's jaw. Harkon didn't stop with one strike, nor two. He continued pummeling the man's face until blood ran across the floorboards toward Lou.

Harkon stood up straight as he shook his hand. His angry eyes lifted to meet Lou's terrified ones. His jaw clenched as he removed his pistol from his belt. He cocked it, turning to aim it at his first mate. The sound of it firing echoed loudly in the dead air.

Harkon turned his angry gaze back to her. He approached her, stopping inches from her. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing-" Lou flinched, trying to back away from him, but the chain held her in place.

He grabbed her upper arms aggressively. She felt the bruises beginning to form under his grasp. He shook her slightly as he hissed in her face, "No one touches you, do you understand me?"

Lou's eyes widened at him. She could see the hatred growing in his expression. She knew how he was when he was angry and he was unpredictable.

He released his hold on her, turning from her for a moment. He stood with his back to her, breathing heavily. Without warning, he whirled around, striking her with the back of his hand. The force of the blow threw her off of her feet and into the small table and chair that sat in her cell.

Tumbling to the floor, she felt his hands pushing her harder into the floor of her cell. His knee burrowed into her back, pinning her in place. She felt one of his hands on the back of her head while the other tugged at her shirt. He moved his knee as he pulled the shirt up her back.

"I see that my name is still there," he growled. "My name! You belong to me!"

Tears fell from her eyes, despite her best attempts to keep them from falling. He bent down and hissed in her ear, "No one touches you but me, do you understand me?"

She nodded, a sob escaping from her lips.

He released his hold of her long enough to roll her over. He grabbed the sides of her face, holding her still as he glared at her. "Do you have any questions about that?"

She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. He wiped them with his thumbs.

He released her, standing up. "Good. I'm glad we had this talk."

"Sir?" a voice spoke behind them. "The wind is returning."

Harkon wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Good. I'm coming up." He pointed to the dead first mate and said, "You've just been promoted. Get rid of this piece of shit."

Lou didn't move until Harkon and his men had finished locking up the cell and leaving the room with the dead first mate in tow. The moment she was alone, she sobbed uncontrollably. She knew she was lucky he didn't do more to her than that. She feared his next visit because she knew it would be worse than this.

Billy gazed out across the ocean to the land they were approaching. He could see several ships entering and exiting the harbor. He wondered if any of them belonged to Harkon.

Clem approached and stood next to Billy. He stared at the harbor. "Do you think she's there?"

Billy glanced over his shoulder at the man. "I don't know, but I hope so."

"Do you know what Captain Flint is planning?"

Billy shook his head. "No."

"They're discussing the plan now," Clem said, turning to look at the Captain's Cabin. "I don't know what to think."

Billy didn't blame Clem for the way he was feeling. He was questioning Flint as well.

Turning back to Billy, Clem said, "I can't help but wonder if the other man from your crew was right."

Billy's brows knitted together. "Who?"

"The one that grabbed Lou," Clem said. He snapped his fingers together, trying to remember the man's name. "Singleton, was it?"

Billy turned to face Clem, arms crossing over his chest. "What did he say?"

"Something about Flint," Clem said, clearly thinking about it. "Something about how he didn't think Flint should be the captain any longer?" He blinked up at Billy. "You didn't know."

Billy shook his head. "No, I didn't."

Billy thought over Singleton for a moment. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to him that Singleton would try to overthrow Flint's command. He had talked about it before but never actually followed through. He wondered if it was because none of the men were interested in following a different captain. If what Clem told him was true, then Singleton had some followers supporting him.

Billy felt conflicted. Singleton was back in Nassau with the Walrus. There'd be no way of knowing what kind of repercussions his influence would be, especially without Gates there to put a stop to it. Joji had remained behind and he was loyal to Flint. That was the only one he could think of to maintain some sort of balance.

Clem broke Billy's train of thought when he cleared his throat. "Looks like they've finished."

Billy blinked up to see Flint, Wheeler, and Gates emerging from the Captain's Cabin. Flint stopped Wheeler to have another exchange of words but Gates approached him.

"We're going to head over to the harbor," Gates informed him. "I need you to stay here-"

"Are you sure that I'm the right man to stay behind?" he questioned. "Don't you remember what happened the last time?"

Gates offered him a sympathetic smile. "We don't have Lou here," he said. "You'll be fine. We shouldn't be here for long."

Clem asked, "Do you know if she's here?"

Gates shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"What am I to do?" Clem asked.

"Go talk to your Captain," Gates suggested. Gates waited until Clem was out of hearing range before turning back to him. "We're trying to get a small launch prepared to meet up with the crew who is supposed to take the sword to the Americas."

Billy gave a simple nod but whispered, "I think we have a bigger problem."

Gates tilted his head at him. "What do you mean? What bigger problem?"

"Clem just told me that Singleton had been talking about mutiny."

"When?"

"Before we left Nassau," Billy explained. "I guess he's finally found some backers."

Gates grimaced. "If he has followers, that's not good..." he sighed. "But we can't do anything about it right now."

"What do we do about it?"

Gates shook his head. "Nothing," he told him. "Unless you have a way of getting back to Nassau to stop it, there's nothing we can do. We'll have to fix the damage when we get back."

"It might be too late by then," Billy warned.

Gates shrugged. "Right now, we have a job to do. Let's focus on that, shall we?"

Billy sighed as he watched Gates walk away from him. He didn't want to be the one to stay behind with the ship. He worried about what could happen if Harkon was in harbor. He didn't want a repeat of before.

Billy watched as Gates, Flint, and Wheeler climbed into the launch. He noticed that Wheeler seemed uneasy. His eyes drifted over to Clem who seemed just as uncomfortable. He tried to tell himself that it was because Lou might be nearby but something nagged at the back of his head. He simply couldn't shake the feeling.

Billy took a deep breath before heading over to Clem. When he stopped next to the man, Clem glanced up at him. Billy asked, "Are you all right?"

Clem nodded. "I'm just nervous about him."

"Who? Wheeler?"

Clem nodded again. "He's a mess without his daughter."

"I can imagine."

"She's his whole world," Clem told him. "He'd do anything for her safety."

Billy's eye narrowed briefly. "Why aren't you going with them?"

"They thought a smaller group wouldn't attract attention," Clem admitted.

After a moment, Billy asked, "What do you make of this sword business?"

"I believe it is real," Clem stated. "If it wasn't, why all the fuss?"

Billy turned his gaze back to the launch. Something still didn't sit well with him. He asked, "Why did you tell me about Singleton?"

Clem whipped his head around to look at Billy. "Wouldn't you want to know if one of your crew was planning a mutiny?"

"I would," Billy admitted. "But why now? Why didn't you say something before we left Nassau?"

"I-I guess I just forgot - what, with Lou's kidnapping and all," Clem said.

Billy could see the sincerity behind the man's words but there was still something amiss about the timing. He didn't buy the man's words about forgetting. He felt that Clem wanted to speak up sooner and it was the reason he didn't that worried him.

The launch landed in port. Flint turned to Gates. "Where is the meeting being held?"

Gates shrugged. "My guess is where any meeting of this kind is held...the tavern."

Flint narrowed his eyes, quickly scanning the immediate area. He hated being in ports such as Ponta Delgada. They were usually filled with miscreants and scum that no one wanted on their crew. There was even the occasional British officer hiding amongst the natives. He knew that if Harkon was aware of the meeting, chances were high that they'd run into him and there'd be little they could do to defend themselves against him here.

Gates led them through the dirty, crowded streets. Flint continued scanning the faces of those he passed by. The locals stared at them, pointing and whispering to their friends. Flint's guard raised.

Entering the tavern, the group scanned the inside. Gates motioned to them to follow him to a lone table in the corner of the room. The moment they sat down, Wheeler asked, "How do we know which man we need to talk to?"

"Something tells me that they already know," Gates said, nodding his head slightly in the opposite direction.

Flint glanced over his shoulder to spot three men staring at them. They were dressed in simple clothes, almost like farmers. They made their approach toward Flint.

They pulled up chairs to the table, sitting down around them. One of them spoke, a heavy accent that Flint recognized to be Irish. "We've been waiting on ya."

"We weren't sure ya was gonna show," the other stated.

Gates offered a small smile. "We got caught in a storm and took a bit of damage to our mast."

"Is this going to be a problem then?" the first man asked. "Cos we don't want no trouble with the transfer."

"Won't be a problem," Flint said. "We worked on repairs as we came."

"Good," the second man replied. He leaned closer into the table. "Ya sure ya got good holes?"

Gates smirked at the remark. He was pretty confident that he had heard that question in the whorehouse back in Nassau once.

Wheeler cleared his throat. "The best there is. I built that ship myself."

"Good, good," the man replied. "We'd like to see them if you don't mind."

Flint's eyes narrowed at them. "Pardon?"

"The holes," the man repeated. "We'd like to make sure they're good enough."

"They're good enough," Flint retorted, voice laced with ire. He knew he was borderline challenging them but he had quite enough of this conversation and pull around.

The men glanced at one another before turning back to Flint. Gates cleared his throat and asked, "How do we know that you have the sword?"

The men sniggered before busting out laughing. The first man smacked his friend's chest. "Come on, then. Let's go 'ave a look-see."

Flint watched the men carefully. He felt like something was off with them. He hadn't spent much time around the Irish but even so, he trusted his instincts - and his instincts were screaming at him.

Glancing over at Gates, he could see that his friend was on the same page. That knowing look they shared was all he needed to confirm his suspicions.

Looking at Wheeler, the man seemed almost oblivious. He believed these men were the ones they needed to speak to. He didn't seem nervous in the slightest and Flint questioned why.

They followed the men through the city toward the docks. When they arrived at the jumps, Flint asked, "Where are we going?"

"To our ship," the man stated. "That's usually where we keep our secrets."

Flint wrapped his hand around the handle of his pistol. He climbed into the launch after the others. The moment they had all gotten in, they shoved off, rowing toward the anchored vessels.

Scanning the ships in the harbor, Flint spotted Wheeler's easily. It stuck out from the others. He noticed that if one looked closely enough, it rode low in the water - which meant it had goods on board. He wondered how much was hidden on that ship that he hadn't a clue about.

Looking around at the other ships, none gave him any idea of which ship they were heading toward. None looked out of place, which didn't help his growing anxiety that they were headed for a trap.

As they neared a vessel, Flint took in the features. It had been through battle as he picked out debris chips in the hull. There were blackened streaks from cannon fire lining the side. The sails had been patched up numerous times with whatever material they could salvage. Even the chain for the anchor looked rusted and old.

They pulled up to the side of the ship and the first man began to ascend the ladder on the side. Gates offered to go next, followed by Wheeler. Flint wanted to be last but knew that he'd have to deal with the second man behind him. There'd be no way around that.

Flint's boots echoed on the deck as he jumped over the side. He glanced about the deck at the paltry crew. His eyes narrowed as he took them in. They looked half-starved and sickly. He glanced at Gates before turning his attention to the men that brought them here.

Gates blinked at the state of the crew. As he followed Wheeler and the others, he muttered to Flint, "Something feel off to you?"

Flint hummed a response as he kept his guard up. The last time he had seen a vessel run in such a manner, it turned out to be a slave ship, but even then, the slaves looked better cared for than this crew.

They rounded the corner and descended the stairs into the lower decks. The smell below deck caused their stomachs to turn. Flint knew that smell well: death.

The two stopped at the back wall. Wheeler asked, "Well?"

The first man glanced over his shoulder. "You're not the only one with secret holes."

The second man scanned the wall before pushing his finger into a small hole, pulling the hidden compartment open. Flint shook his head at how well hidden these compartments were. He wondered how easy it would be to put some on the Walrus.

The first man peered into the hiding place before removing a metal box. The length of it told Flint that it held a sword. He wasn't sure if this was the sword they were after, not after the feelings he had been getting from this meeting. Something still felt wrong to him.

The two turned to the group. "You must make haste for the Americas. When you arrive at the port in Boston, you are to meet with a man named, Griffith, he will take the sword from you and give your payment."

"How will we find him?" Wheeler asked.

"He'll find you," the man stated. "Now, you should go. It won't be long before someone realizes that the sword is on the move."

Wheeler took the box from the man and started to leave. Flint held his hand out to stop him. "How do we know the sword is in the box?"

"You lack faith," the second man told him.

Flint laughed. "In you, yes. I need proof before we leave."

The two men glanced at each other before motioning to the box. "Take a look yourself, then."

Flint gritted his teeth as he approached the box. He watched as Wheeler tensed. Carefully, Flint opened the long box. Inside, he saw a sword with a black blade.

"Satisfied?" the man asked.

Flint raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain this is the right sword?"

"If it's not, we've been carting around and risking our lives for that imposter," the second man replied.

Flint glanced over his shoulder at Gates. Gates shrugged. He wasn't convinced but didn't have any way of suggesting otherwise. Flint closed the lid to the box.

The moment the lid closed, a man scurried down into the lower deck. His face showcased his fear. He stammered, "It's Harkon! He's here! He's found us!"

Flint turned to the others. "You knew he wanted the sword?"

They nodded. "You have to get out of here quickly! We will hold him off as long as we can to ensure your escape!"

"My daughter is aboard that ship!" Wheeler interrupted.

The two exchanged glances. "If we can help, we will but the sword is too important-"

"Are you implying that it's more important than my daughter?" Wheeler shouted.

Flint grabbed Wheeler's shoulder. "Right now, I'd say so. We can discuss this once we're on our ship."

Wheeler jerked away from Flint's grip. "I'm not going anywhere until I have Lou back!"

"We have the sword," Flint reminded him. "Harkon will follow us! Remember? This is why we're here?"

Wheeler looked defeated. His shoulders slumped forward. "Very well..."

Gates and Flint exchanged glances. Flint shook his head slightly. He knew that Wheeler was reaching a breaking point if he hadn't already. This would make the man unpredictable. Flint shot Gates a silent command to watch the merchant captain closely. Gates nodded that he understood.

The three, box in tow, quickly climbed into the launch. Flint could see Harkon's ship entering the harbor. He knew they'd need to hurry and return to their vessel as quickly and stealthily as possible if they were to succeed.

Gates asked, "What's the plan here, Cap'n?"

Flint stared across the bay at Harkon's ship. It wasn't moving. He couldn't see if they were watching or not. He wanted to see the launch leave before attempting to return to their own ship.

Wheeler clutched the box on his lap. "What if we just traded for Lou now?"

Flint's face contorted in confusion as he turned to face the man. "We need to wait. I'm not convinced that's the real sword."

"What?" Wheeler gasped. "Then we need to go back and-"

"You need to shut up," Flint ordered. "I will explain when we get back to your ship. For now, shut up."

Wheeler blinked at Flint. He opened his mouth to speak but Gates shook his head, warning the man to follow the order.

After a few painstaking minutes, Flint could see some of the crew of Harkon's ship climbing onto their launch. The moment they were a few yards from their ship, Flint told Gates to get them back to their ship.

Navigating through the crowded harbor was easier than Flint thought it would be. As Gates rowed them back to their ship, Flint kept a close eye on Harkon's ship and the launch. He knew if the launch started to return to the ship, they had been spotted. So far, the launch continued toward the mainland. He hoped they could leave before Harkon realized his mistake.

The moment they reached their ship, Flint motioned for Wheeler to climb up. Gates followed and Flint brought up the rear. He didn't bother to secure the launch boat to his hull. He didn't want to waste time bringing that back up.

On deck, Billy and Clem blinked at them. "What's going on?"

Flint ordered, "Get us out of here, Gates."

Gates nodded and shouted the order. The crew rushed about the decks, preparing the ship to leave. It wasn't long before the ship began moving slowly out of the harbor.

Flint kept his eyes on Harkon's ship. He hoped the man would linger in the harbor for a while to give them a head-start. So far, that's exactly what was happening.

Once they were on their way toward America, Flint turned his attention over to the others. "We need to talk."


	7. The Deep Beckons

Inside the Captain's Cabin, Flint, Gates, Billy, Clem, and Wheeler had all crammed inside. Sitting on the desk was the fabled sword in the box. Flint lifted the lid to show the blade to the others.

"That's what Harkon is after?" Clem asked. "It looks like a regular sword." The sword in the box looked as though someone had held the blade over a fire to blacken it. It had that tarnished look to it.

"That's because it is a regular sword," Flint told him.

That statement surprised most of them, except Gates and Wheeler. Billy glanced at the others quickly before asking, "I'm confused...why does he want a regular sword?"

"He doesn't," Flint replied, eyes fixed on Wheeler.

"I don't understand," Clem said, agreeing with Billy. "I thought he wanted a sword of legend...if that's not this sword, then where is it?"

Flint's hardened stare never left Wheeler. Wheeler shifted under the gaze but remained silent.

"Oh God," Clem gasped. "What about Lou? What will happen to her now?"

Billy's eyes darted over to Clem before returning to Flint. He wanted to know the answer to that question as well. Instead of getting any form of an answer, he only saw the judgment that Flint was casting at Wheeler. Billy turned to Wheeler.

"Did you know about this?" Billy questioned. "Did you know this was a normal sword?"

Wheeler's eyes widened at the accusation. "How dare you-"

"Why would you think he knew?" Clem asked, seemingly angry. "He's never even heard of this until recently!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Gates mumbled. Clem had heard and glanced between the men gathered. The room fell silent sans the sounds of the ship groaning as it plowed through the ocean waves.

Wheeler placed his hand on his hip. "I did not know this was a normal sword-"

"That's not the question," Billy retorted. "You knew about this fabled sword all along?"

Wheeler inhaled sharply before eventually nodding glumly. "I knew."

Clem's mouth fell agape. "What?"

"Of course, I knew!" Wheeler snapped at Clem. "Why do you think he was always boarding our vessel?" Clem opened his mouth to speak but Wheeler raised his hand to silence his first mate. "Don't you dare say Lou!"

Clem's expression fell. "You lied to me? You lied to Lou?" he scoffed, head shaking. "This whole time?"

Wheeler averted his gaze. "I thought I could buy time-"

"Time for what?" Clem shouted. "To get your only daughter killed at the hands of that maniac?"

Flint and Gates exchanged glances, watching the scene unfold before them. Flint studied Wheeler as Clem reamed the man a new one over the latest developments. He noticed that despite everything, Wheeler seemed unaffected.

Clem's hands balled into fists as he paced the room. As he neared the door, he slammed his knuckles into the wood, cracking it slightly. "What were you thinking?!"

Wheeler remained unfazed as he watched Clem. "I did what I had to-" Clem shot him a scowl, ready to shout some more. Wheeler's voice raised as he interjected, "I did this for Lou!"

Clem scoffed again, running his hand down his face. "You might as well just shot her and got it over with. She's as good as dead now."  
Wheeler tilted his head, turning his gaze over to Flint. "What's the plan then?"

Flint's eyes darted between the two. He calmly said, "We keep our course, heading further toward the Americas. Chances are, Harkon will track us and once he catches up to us-" he saw Clem's face fall, he added, "Which he will catch up, we will trade the sword for Lou."

"Except he'll want to see the sword for himself," Clem pointed out. "And he'll see that it's a fake and Lou will die!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Flint replied. "We have time to prepare."

Clem shook his head, clearly unconvinced. He tossed his hands up, almost defeated. Flint recognized that look in men before - men who had nothing left to fight for. Those men were usually incredibly dangerous. It became apparent to him that Clem was reaching his breaking point.

Wheeler, on the other hand, had confused him. He didn't seem bothered by the words Clem had shared. He didn't seem afraid for Lou as he originally led them to believe. His instincts were telling him not to trust Wheeler.

Flint crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the front of Wheeler's desk. "We have time to prepare for Harkon's arrival," he told the men in the room. "Listen carefully...everything must be done precisely."

Lou could hear footsteps descending into the brig. Based on the way the man was stomping, she guessed it was Harkon - and he was angry. She started to inch her way into the back corner, keeping as much distance between him as possible.

He rounded the corner, amused smirk on his face. She noted the anger behind his eyes and knew the smirk wasn't genuine. He paced before her cell, avoiding direct eye contact with her. She refused to speak up first.

He ran his hands through his hair, gripping the roots for a moment. His body was tense. She could see some of the veins in his forehead and neck popping from the building rage inside.

As he paced, he chuckled. His laughter grew louder until his facade broke. He turned toward her cell, slamming his hands against the iron bars repeatedly. Lou shrunk further into the hull of the ship, hoping to disappear.

Harkon's hands wrapped around the bars, head leaning against them as he caught his breath. Lou could see his knuckles turn white as he gripped them tightly. His breath grew ragged as he finally sighed, straightening himself upright. His angry eyes landed on her.

"Your father is becoming more and more troublesome for his own good," he finally said, hands falling to his sides.

Lou remained silent, unsure of what to do. She didn't want to speak out of turn and cause him to spiral back into another fit of rage - especially since the keys to her cell hung on the wall behind him.

Harkon chuckled, pinching the bridge to his nose for a moment. "I am left to assume that you and your father lied to me..." Lou swallowed nervously, shifting in place. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You did pick up the survivors on that ship, didn't you?"

Harkon turned to face her. "It doesn't matter," he told her. "We'll catch up to them...Of this, I am confident." He started pacing again. "I warn you though," he said, stopping on the side of the cell to look at her. "I will leave none alive when we do catch up to them."

With that, Harkon turned and marched out of the brig, leaving Lou by herself to think of the fates of those she knew.

Two long days of sailing later, the ambient light had grown darker. The air felt muggy. The distant rumblings and choppier waves alerted Lou to the approaching storm. It wasn't long before the rumblings were overhead and shaking the lanterns in the brig. The waves were tossing the ship about, making all onboard struggle to stay on their feet.

Breaking through the sounds of the storm, Lou could hear the muffled orders of Harkon. They were preparing themselves for battle. Her heart stopped for a moment as she thought of her father, Flint and his men - Billy - coming to her rescue.

Lou approached the bars to her cell, listening carefully to the sounds overhead. The ship slammed into a wave, sending Lou crashing to the ground. Shouts overhead were intermixed with familiar blasts of cannon fire and thunder. She scrambled back to her feet, gripping the iron bars tightly to keep herself upright.

"Help me!" she screamed as loud as she could over the noise. "Can anyone hear me!"

She could hear the footsteps darting from one end of the deck above her to the other. More blasts overhead mixed with screaming and thunder told Lou that her screams wouldn't be heard.

Another wave slammed into the ship, rolling it slightly onto its side. Despite Lou's grip on the cell, she slipped to her knees before the ship righted itself.

A shout on deck could be heard briefly, "We're being boarded!"

Lou's heart leaped into her throat. She pulled herself up and tried again, "Help me! Someone help me!"

The unmistakable sounds of battle raging up above her echoed down to the brig. She tried crying out for help again, even though she knew they'd be unable to hear her. She needed to try at the very least.

"Brace yourselves!" the order shouted over the noise.

Before Lou had a chance to comprehend the words, the whole ship shook violently, an ear-piercing cracking and splinting sound erupted behind her.

Lou's head snapped over to the hull of the ship that her cell wall used. Sticking into her cell was a large rock that had pierced the hull like a knife. Ocean water gushed into the hold of the ship at an alarming rate. The ship continued shaking violently as it remained pinned against the rock.

Lou turned back to the cell door, looking up to the door of the upper decks. "Someone help me! Please! Help me!"

The water rose passed her ankles. The water spraying into the hold soaked Lou from head to toe. Her hair stuck to her face and neck. Her clothes clung to her body, sending chills through her bones.

"Please!" she screamed as loud as she could, voice breaking. "Someone help me, please!"

The water rose to her knees. Lou's eyes drifted down to the water level. She glanced about, hoping to find something to use to reach the keys. A broken oar that had been stored for repairs floated near the cell. Lou stretched her arm out, hoping to reach it. Her face pressed against the cold iron bars as she stretched as far as she could.

Sighing, she stood up straight, bringing her arm back. "Someone!" she tried again. "Please..." she blinked back the tears. This was not how she had envisioned dying.

Lou rested her head against the bars, watching the water levels rising before her. As it reached the middle of her thighs, she heard the door to the upper decks open. Her head snapped up as she watched someone descending the steps into the brig.

As the tall man turned around, her mouth fell open. "Billy?"

Billy blinked at her in surprise. He rushed as quickly as he could through the rising waters to her cell. "Lou! Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," she said quickly. "Get me out of here." He looked down at the door to examine the lock. Throwing her arm through the bars, she pointed to the key on the wall. "The key is over there! Get the key!"

He turned, wading over. He grabbed it off the hook and scoffed at how many were on the ring. He asked as he fingered through them, "Do you know which one?"

"No," she told him. "Hurry, Billy!"

Billy tried the first key. It didn't fit into the lock. He tried another. Wouldn't turn. He continued through the ring as the water started to reach the bottom of the lock.

"Hurry," she pleaded.

As Billy tried another key, he was genuinely excited when it fit and turned, locking mechanism clanking loudly as it opened. He pushed the door open. "Come on."

Her heart stopped as she watched the keys sink. "Wait- no!" she cried out. He turned, giving her a confused look. "My foot is chained!"

The look of disbelief washed over him. He took a deep breath, sinking under the water to grab the keys he released prematurely. Once he grabbed it, he popped up for air. He fingered through the keys again, sinking back under the surface.

Lou watched as the water continued to rise. "Hurry!" The water rose to her chest. Her heart slammed into her chest as she wondered how long it could take for him to find the right key.

He popped up for more air, gasping loudly as he swam back under the surface. He tried another key, praying silently that it was the right one. As he turned the key in the lock, he noticed the cuff around Lou's ankle tightened. Bits of blood seeped out. He could even hear the faint cry of pain muffled from under the water.

Quickly switched keys, he tried another. The lock opened and he pushed the cuff from her ankle, freeing her fully from the prison she had been in all this time.

Pushing off the floor, he grabbed her waist as he popped to the surface. Both gasping for air as they emerged from the water. He pushed her through the open cell door and toward the stairs to the upper decks.

"I can't believe you came for me!" she exclaimed.

"Well," Billy started. "Don't be too excited!"

She glanced over at him as she waded through chest-high water to the steps. "Why?"

"The French are here too," Billy told her, helping her onto the stairs. The ship shook, knocking her from the step. Billy grasped her belt, holding her steady, guiding her up to the decks.

Once they exited the flooded deck to the upper, Lou gasped at the carnage that took place before her eyes. The ship rolled, knocking several men over the side and into the stormy ocean. In the near distance, she could see another ship firing upon Harkon's - flying French colors. Next to Harkon's ship was her father's ship.

The waves crashed down onto the deck, sweeping men off their feet. The thunder roared overhead, snapping loudly. The sails of Harkon's ship were ripped to shreds, waving wildly like flags.

Billy grabbed her arm tightly. "We have to get back to the ship!"

She nodded, holding onto him as they navigated toward the side of the ship. The rain pelted her skin like shards of glass. The wind tore through her as though she were made of paper. Her eyes darted about the deck. She could make out the familiar uniforms of the French naval men battling Harkon's men. There were even a few of her own crew on board. It looked like utter chaos.

Billy shouted over the storm, "We have to cross back over! Hold on tight!" He pointed to a rope that had been thrown from her father's ship to Harkon's. She grasped it and followed Billy across the gangplank.

The rolling waves under her feet looked as though the world wanted to swallow her alive. She watched as the water swirled away from both ships before another massive wave struck the hull of both, rocking the gangplank they stood on.

Despite the death grip Lou had on the rope, her foot slipped from the wet board. Her fingers betrayed her as the rope snapped from her hold, sending her falling into the angry sea below.


	8. Dead Man's Tale

Many Years Later

The bright morning light flooded Billy's room. He could hear the loud cries of the seagulls as they flew by his open window. He sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. Pushing himself up, he tossed his legs over the side of the cot, leaning against his knees. He wasn't ready for the morning and knowing what the day would bring, he really wasn't willing to start his day.

His days had become increasingly mundane and filled with the struggles of dealing with the borderline psychotic episodes of his captain. First, it was the Black Blade, then the Urca de Lima, and now? He wasn't sure what Flint would fixate on these days.

Voicing his opinions had gone nowhere and it started to become too dangerous doing so. Singleton was killed to keep order amongst the ranks. Gates had been murdered after stressing the importance of stopping this madness. It was clear as the days drifted by that Flint wouldn't stop whatever he set his mind to - and that meant no one was safe from his ire.

A knock landed on his door. "Billy? You in there?"

He gritted his teeth before shouting, "Yeah. I'll be down in a minute!"

"Better make it quick," the voice replied. "Flint's got that look!"

Sighing, Billy pushed himself to his feet. He knew what look his crewman referred to. It was usually the look that Flint got whenever he had some new information regarding his latest focus. He hoped for a couple of days off to sequester away and regroup his thoughts. Apparently, Flint had other plans - as he usually did.

Billy walked to the washbasin on the dresser and poured the cool water into the bowl. He dipped his hands in, cupping the water to splash his face. As his eyes lifted to the reflection of himself in the mirror before him, he studied his features. He had aged. His hair had grown thicker, the beard had started to fill in - he hardly recognized himself most days.

Grabbing the towel nearby, he dried his face and hands before tossing the towel to the side. He bent down and pulled his boots on. Once he was ready for his day, he slipped out of his room, marching himself to the bar below where he knew Flint would be waiting for him.

He spotted Flint easily within the bustling tavern. Billy noticed the rigid posture and steeled himself for the crazy conversation that would most likely come. He snagged a mug of ale from the bar before joining Flint at the table. "Captain."

Flint's eyes lifted quickly before returning to the book splayed out before him. "You're late."

"I didn't know we had a meeting." Billy took a swig from his cup.

Flint ignored the remark. Instead, he asked, "Have you heard the rumors as of late?"

Billy paused mid-chug. His mind raced for a moment, trying to think up anything he had heard within the residents of Nassau. He couldn't remember anything of importance - at least, nothing that would be labeled as important to Flint. He set his cup down, shaking his head.

Flint blinked at Billy, studying the irritated man sitting opposite of him. He leaned forward, eyes darting to the sides to make sure there were no listening ears. "The Moray was spotted off the coast of Bridgetown."

Billy had lifted his cup to drink but paused after the words fell from Flint's lips. He blinked at the comment, setting his drink back down. "What?"

Flint knew he had the man's attention fully. "The Moray was seen in Bridgetown."

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "No one has seen The Moray since..." his voice drifted into nothing. Memories of the battle between The Moray, the French, and Harkon's men came rushing back. He even remembered the look on Lou's face as she disappeared into the black angry sea.

"It's The Moray," Flint replied, breaking the hold Billy's memories had over him. "And that's not all." He turned the book that he had opened before him around for Billy to see. "I know where it's heading."

Billy forced his eyes to look at the book on the table. He studied the map and information scribbled on the side. "How do you know that this is accurate? How'd you get this?"

Flint tilted his head in the way that told Billy he wasn't going to answer. "Do you have any idea what this means?"

Billy forced himself to refrain from the facetious retort that threatened to come out. Instead, he shook his head, praying silently that the next words Flint said weren't what he feared them to be.

That familiar glint appeared in Flint's eyes as the smirk began to grace his lips. "We can track The Moray and find the Black Blade once and for all."

Billy's shocked expression couldn't be helped. Flint seemed almost amused by the stunned nature of the man before him. He knew that Billy thought he was crazy, and maybe he was, but at this moment, he had to find that blade.

"What are you planning?" Billy asked, carefully choosing his words.

Flint's smile widened. "We're going to set sail in a couple of hours. Find the crew and get the ship in order." Flint stood up, grabbing his book and closed it as he walked away from the table.

Billy watched his captain leave. He shook his head at the man. He had hoped they were finished with the Black Blade. He didn't want to keep chasing myths and legends across the seas. It had nearly cost the lives of those on board The Moray back then. It had cost him the life of Lou and that failure had eaten away at him every day.

Billy stood up from the table and walked out of the tavern. He stormed down the sandy roads of Nassau. It wasn't long before he felt a presence walking beside him. His eyes darted to the corner to see Silver walking in stride.

"Have you heard the latest?" Silver questioned. "Seems our good captain hasn't forgotten about the one that got away."

Billy rolled his eyes as he continued walking. He had hoped that Silver would get the hint that he didn't want to talk about it and either walk in silence or leave him alone. Unfortunately, Silver didn't do either.

"From what I hear," he started. "You were also close to this particular mission." He studied Billy's reaction carefully before adding, "Or perhaps to a certain crew member?"

Billy halted in his step, turning around to face Silver. "What are you doing?" When Silver blinked at him, he added, "What is it you're trying to accomplish here? Were you the one who told Flint about The Moray?"

"I thought he'd like to know-"

"You're unbelievable." Billy turned on his heel and began marching away.

"That's uncalled for," Silver remarked, falling in step with him again. "What's got you in a mood?"

Billy shook his head as he gritted his teeth. The frustration ate away at him and he turned to Silver again. "There is no blade...did he tell you that?"

Silver didn't blink. "I don't think he cares about the blade-"

"He wants there to be," Billy retorted. "Good men died that day over this ... this fabled blade and he wants to do it again." He ran his hand through his hair. "He's going to get more of our men killed over this... He's out of control."

Silver shrugged. "Maybe he'll find the blade this time-"

"I think you're as delusional as he is," Billy stated. "We should leave the dead alone."

Silver stopped Billy, turning him to look at him in the eye. "I thought you'd want to know what happened to your friend-"

"I know what happened," Billy spat. "I was there-"

"Then find the blade so that her death wasn't in vain." Silver studied Billy's face for a moment. He said, "Maybe there's a reason this is coming back to haunt you. Maybe this is what was meant to happen-"

Billy scoffed. "Right...we're supposed to track down Harkon and run him through with a fabled sword."

Silver shrugged. "There have been worse ideas."

Billy sighed, pinching the bridge to his nose. "It's not like I have much choice in the matter," he replied. "I have to follow orders - which reminds me, I need you to gather the rest of the crew and make sure they have their shit back on the ship. We're setting out today."

Silver stood silently as Billy stormed away from him again. He noticed the rigidness of Billy's stature. He wondered what took place back then. He had only heard the stories from those that were there and yet, something was telling him that there was more to the stories than he had been led to believe.

A few hours later, the Walrus had already disembarked from Nassau. Flint had already decided that Bridgetown no longer mattered. According to his sources, The Moray would be heading to their next chosen stop - Port-au-Prince.

Flint's decision to head to Port-au-Prince now was a matter of reaching the destination before The Moray did. He wanted to cut the snake off at the head. If he could stay a step ahead of them, he'd find a way to gain the upper hand.

He sat in his quarters, studying the information he had gotten from a source of his. He had been reading it over for the past two days. It made sense. Nothing seemed amiss, yet for some reason, Billy's fears echoed in his own thoughts, even when he didn't want to admit it.

He had to agree with Billy in the regard that the sudden appearance of The Moray was suspicious. The smuggling merchant ship had vanished shortly after the battle with Harkon and the French, along with the crew that survived.

Even after Flint and his men returned to Nassau, word had gotten to him that Harkon and his men vanished too. He had nearly forgotten the whole ordeal when he began his hunt for the Urca, but then the book had been thrust into his hands from one of his sources. It just reignited the fire all over again.

Flint studied the route The Moray planned on taking. He studied each port the book claimed it would take. Something was familiar with the routes and he began working on connecting the dots. He felt that pang of familiarity in its path. His knee-jerk response was to ask Gates but that wasn't an option these days.

The only person he could confer with was Billy and the man had made his position on this mission clear. Flint gritted his teeth. He didn't care about Billy's feelings - he was the captain. He stood up from his desk and marched out onto the upper decks in search of the brooding quartermaster.

It didn't take him long before his eyes fell upon the familiar frame. Squinting in the bright afternoon light, he waited until Billy met his gaze. When their eyes locked, he motioned for the man to join him. He saw Billy's jaw square as he followed his orders.

Billy reached Flint in a few short strides. He didn't say a word as he stopped before him. Flint tilted his head toward his cabin. He wanted privacy from any listening ears.

Inside his cabin, Flint walked around his desk. He heard Billy's footsteps falling in step with his own. "I wanted your opinion on this."

"Why?" Billy retorted. "Are you going to heed it if I give it?"

Flint lifted his gaze to meet Billy's. "I'm going to forgive your tone of voice this once but if I were you, I'd refrain from such remarks in the future."

Billy shifted in his place, crossing his arms over his chest. He silently scowled as he waited for Flint to continue.

Flint returned his gaze to the open book on the desk. "Take a look at the routes here," he said, pointing to the path. "Do they seem familiar to you?"

Billy inhaled deeply before leaning over to study the page. Flint watched as the wave of recognition washed over the man's features. Billy's angry expression had melted into one of surprise. His head snapped up to meet Flint's gaze. "It's following the same course as before?"

With a small nod, Flint said, "I noticed that as well."

"Why would they do that?"

"I'm not sure," Flint remarked, rubbing the scruff on his chin as he thought.

Billy glanced back at the page. "After Port-au-Prince, where is it going to go?"

"It never made it to Port-au-Prince before," Flint stated, dropping his hands to the desk. "Remember?"

Billy's eyes darted about as he recalled those days of old. "We went to Bridgetown and then Nassau..."

"Where Harkon intercepted them," Flint said, finishing the thought.

"Do you think The Moray is retracing its steps?" Billy questioned. "The ones that it was supposed to take before they picked us up?"

Flint jutted his jaw for a moment before saying, "It would appear so...but the question is why? After all of these years, what would they gain by doing so?"

Billy stood up straight. "Do you think it's possible it's the same crew?"

Flint furrowed his brow as he lifted his gaze to Billy. "I highly doubt it."

"Then who would know the routes?"

Shrugging slightly, Flint stated, "I'm not even sure this is really The Moray...If it is, I have a lot of questions as to where it's been this whole time."

Flint thought back on the last time they had seen it. They managed to flee the battle between Harkon and the French all those years ago. Wheeler had dropped them off in Nassau before disembarking...never to be seen or heard from again. He had gotten his crew back onto the Walrus to give chase but they vanished. It was this detail that plagued his memory, especially now that they've resurfaced.

"Do you think Wheeler has been laying low all these years?"

Flint turned his unconvinced gaze back to Billy. "It's an awfully long time to be 'laying low'." He shook his head. "No, I think there's something more at work here..."


	9. Wenches & Rum

Flint remained convinced that they should continue on their way to Port-au-Prince and await the arrival of this ghost ship. He decided even if the ship showed up being operated by a different crew, they'd still be able to answer his questions - such as how they managed to get their hands on the vessel, to begin with. If it was Wheeler and his crew still manning the helm, Wheeler was about to have a fight on his hands.

Several days later, the Walrus pulled into the harbor of Port-au-Prince, choosing an advantageous location to observe the whole port. Flint wanted eyes on the horizon as well as the bay. He doubted The Moray would sail straight into port - if it were him at the command, he'd find a secluded area and send a launch forward.

Flint stood by the helm, peering through his spyglass as he scanned through the harbor. It was a bustling port with travelers entering and leaving the city. The city itself was just as active as the harbor.

Lowering the spyglass from his face, he squinted in the bright sunlight filled day. He turned his gaze over his crew. The men in the crow's nest knew their role. He had faith they'd let him know if they spotted The Moray. He turned toward Silver and Billy. "Prepare a launch. We should head inland."

"What for?" Billy questioned, face scrunched in confusion.

Flint gritted his teeth for a moment. He knew Billy wasn't as convinced as he was but he knew how painful this was for the large man. "I want to check in with my contact. I want answers."

"What happens if we get to shore and The Moray shows up?" Silver countered, seeing the growing tension beginning to rise between the two.

Flint inhaled deeply before admitting, "Then we'll head to their next stop now that we have their schedule." He turned and disappeared into his cabin.

Silver and Billy exchanged glances as they headed out to fulfill their order. Silver muttered under his breath, "You know, I don't remember seeing him this obsessed about something since The Urca." Billy grunted in response. Silver smirked as he added, "I haven't seen you this frustrated since ... well... I take that back. You've always been this frustrated for as long as I've known you."

"Look," Billy interrupted him. "I don't need any grief - from you, from him - I just want this crazy idea to blow over-"

Silver chuckled as he held Billy's gaze. "Since when does anything blow over when Flint is determined?"

Billy's shoulders slumped forward as he sighed. He pinched the bridge to his nose as he admitted, "You're right..."

"He's like a dog who's gotten a taste for flesh," Silver added, offering a coy smile to Billy. Billy released a short laugh, shaking his head slightly.

The two finished preparing the launch and updated Flint on the matter. After a couple of minutes, Flint climbed into the launch and they headed toward the bustling city.

The city life reminded Flint of London. Everyone was busy going about their day to day errands. No one seemed to notice the influx of visitors coming in and out of port - or if they did notice, no one seemed to heed them any attention.

The street merchants cried out from behind their tents to the passers-by in hopes of snagging their attention to buy some of their wares. Flint drowned their voices out. He knew what he was doing here and his mind zeroed in on that fact, practically refusing to divert his attention elsewhere.

He walked with a purpose, marching through the sand at a quick pace. Silver and Billy struggled to keep up with him. Their eyes remained locked on Flint so not to lose sight of him.

Flint turned into the busy tavern. Billy and Silver entered shortly thereafter. Inside, they were surprised to see how full of patrons the building was. There was hardly a place to sit within the dimly lit place. They could see men crowding around the barkeep, tables full of men exchanging stories or work, scantily clad barmaids rushing to and fro to keep all of them happy.

Flint's eyes narrowed, scanning the vast space carefully. His eyes halted on a hunched frame in the corner of the room completely alone. Flint marched himself toward the man.

Flint didn't bother to ask for permission to sit at the table. He pulled a chair out and sat down, elbows on the tabletop. "What news do you have for me?"

The man slowly raised his gaze to meet Flint's hard stare. Silver and Billy approached the table, giving the man a once-over glance. The man didn't even acknowledge the other two. "What news? 'Bout what?"

"He's piss drunk," Silver muttered.

Flint's jaw squared. He didn't blink as he leaned forward on his elbows. "The Moray. Where are they?" the tone of his voice was angry and on edge.

"What's a Moray?" the man's voice slurred. "A fish, ain't it?"

Silver sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Captain-"

Flint raised two of his fingers, silencing Silver. His hard stare bore into the drunken man before him. "You know who I am, don't you?" The man nodded slowly. "Then you know that if you do not tell me what I want to know, I'll hang you from the bowsprit of my ship."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man said, taking a chug of his ale. He slammed the cup down, the liquid inside sloshing over the rim and onto the table. The liquid dripped off his bearded chin as he blinked at Flint. "I think you have the wrong man…"

Flint's brows twitched as he glared at the man before him. He questioned his instincts on the matter. He inhaled deeply, filling his nose with the scent of stale ale before pushing up from the table. He sneered at the drunk as he turned to leave.

Just as Flint turned around, another figure appeared behind Billy and Silver. Flint's eyes locked on the familiar frame, eyes narrowing. He scoffed. "You...I should have known…"

Billy and Silver glanced over their shoulders at the newcomer. Billy released an involuntary gasp as his blue eyes took in the man. "You…"

"I'm sorry," Silver began, turning to look at Billy and Flint. "I am unfortunately the odd man out here...do we know this man?"

Billy replied, "This is Clem Hale...the first mate of The Moray." His eyes were locked onto the man he once knew so many years ago. Billy couldn't believe he was standing there. He never thought he'd see the man again.

SIlver's confused expression slowly melted into one of understanding. He glanced back to Flint, trying to gauge the Captain's next move with this man from the past standing there. He remained stunned as Flint didn't give up anything on his expression or body language.

Flint's hardened stare remained locked with Clem. He took one step forward before asking, "Is there someplace we can talk?"

Clem nodded, waving his arm out before him to guide the way. "This way."

Clem led the three men into an empty back room, away from any listening ears. The room had a large dirty window with no curtains around it, allowing the natural light from the outside to flood into the nearly empty room. There were a few storage crates inside the room and a couple of wooden chairs stacked along the wall.

Clem closed the door once all of them were inside. He crossed the room, stopping at a crate in the center, resting his hands flat on the top. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show."

Flint rested his hands on his pistol and cutlass. "You were the contact this whole time?"

Clem chuckled. "I thought you would have figured it out before coming here." When he noticed Flint remained unamused, he cleared his throat. "However, you're here, so I suppose there's still hope."

"Hope for what?" Silver asked. When he noticed the look on Clem's face, he added, "Forgive me but I am at a loss as to what you're speaking of."

Clem turned to Silver, studying the man before turning back to Flint. "Who's this? Where's Mr. Gates?"

"Dead," Flint replied matter of fact.

"Singleton?"

"Him too."

Clem's face faltered. The shock on his face was evident to all in the room. He turned his stunned expression toward Billy. "Nice to see you're still alive at least."

"What is Wheeler's game?" Flint asked, turning the conversation back on track. "Why is he retracing his steps?"

Clem shook his head. "Wheeler's dead."

It was Flint's turn to appear shocked. His brows furrowed, green eyes darting to the dirty floor in thought. He blinked a couple of times, trying to regain his composure. "Then who is in command of The Moray?"

Billy asked, "Why are you here and not on The Moray?"

"Because," Clem started, voice darkening. "Depending on who you ask, I'm dead, too."

"I beg your pardon?" Silver gasped. "What does that mean?"

Clem cleared his throat. "It's a long story-"

"Then start telling it," Flint ordered. "Because we don't have much time."

Clem's eyes darted between the men before his shoulders slumped forward. He sighed heavily. "The day we brought you back to Nassau, we headed back for Bridgetown. We wanted to go somewhere small and familiar to lay low for a while - restock, repair the ship - just regroup…"

Flint watched the man's body language as he spoke. He could see the despair on the man's soul, the pain that haunted him even now, years later. He kept his eyes trained on him as he told his tale.

"Wheeler had started to crumble from the loss of his daughter," Clem continued, shooting Billy a quick glance, which didn't go unnoticed by Silver. "He was unhinged and very reactive to things - more than he would normally be. He was making some unsavory acquaintances and it didn't matter what anyone said - the crew warned him - I warned him! He didn't listen…"

"What happened?"

"He took a job to track down one of Harkon's Lieutenants," Clem stated. "He was blind with rage and wanted revenge for Lou...but that's not what he got in the end."

"You're saying the Lieutenant he was ordered to track killed him?" Flint asked.

"Worse."

"Worse?" Billy repeated. "What's worse than death?"

Clem lifted his gaze to look Billy in the eye. Billy saw the despair on his face. The tears were forming behind the man's eyes already as he continued, "They captured the ship - tracked Harkon down to present him with their spoils...Harkon wasn't disappointed."

Clem closed his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks as the memories slammed into him. With a shaky breath, he forced himself to continue, "Harkon wanted to know where Lou was and didn't like the truth of the matter. He blamed Wheeler, that much you could see."

"What happened to him? What did Harkon do?" Flint pushed.

Clem opened his eyes, wiping the tears from his face. "He tied Wheeler to the anchor and dropped him to the bottom of the ocean."

Silver's brows raised, mouth fell agape. "Who is this Harkon?" He turned to face Flint. Flint's gaze remained on Clem.

"How did you manage to escape?" Flint questioned, eyes narrowed still. Something felt off to him but he didn't know what.

Clem shook his head. "I didn't...not really…" he took another shaky breath before pulling his collar down, exposing his collarbone. Just at the base of his neck, going from one shoulder to another was a deep dark red scar, a couple of inches wide. "He tried to execute me and my men, dumping us over the side of the ship. I was one of the lucky ones."

"So, what happened to your ship? Your crew?" Silver asked.

Clem licked his lips before saying, "Those of us who didn't die by his blade or eaten by sharks were pulled from the water by another merchant ship a few hours later." His eyes darkened as he turned toward Flint. "As for our ship - The Moray - well, she's in the hands of Harkon now."

Flint gritted his teeth, eyes nearly slits now as he glared back at Clem. "What does he hope to gain by retracing the ship's original routes of years past?"

Clem shifted uncomfortably in his place. "He's hoping to find the Black Blade."

"And what else?" Flint pushed. He could see by the way the man's body language had changed that he was holding something back.

Clem inhaled slowly and deeply before blowing it out. "He's looking for her."

Billy's head snapped up. "Her who?"

Clem blinked over to him. "Lou… He's looking for Lou."


	10. The Chase

Billy paced within Flint's cabin. Silver sat in the chair before Flint's desk, carefully observing both men's antics. Flint sat behind his desk, watching Billy as he lumbered back and forth.

"You're going to wear a hole in my floor," Flint remarked. When Billy stopped pacing long enough to look at him, Flint asked, "Would you like to share with me what's on your mind?"

Billy ran his hand through his hair, head shaking slightly. "I don't trust him." Flint remained silent, letting the man continue. "I was with Lou that day. She fell overboard - the sea swallowed her whole. She didn't resurface."

"How do you know that she didn't resurface somewhere else?" Silver countered. "Maybe some other ship's crew pulled her aboard?"

Billy shook his head. "I jumped in after her. There was no sign of her - I swear it...if she was there, I would have…" his voice caught in his throat. He sighed heavily as he turned back to Flint. "You were there. You saw what happened."

Flint nodded slowly, raising his clasped hands to his face, fingers resting on his lips as he thought over those long and nearly forgotten memories. Billy was right - he had seen Lou slip and fall when they were heading back to The Moray. He even watched as Billy dove over the side after her. Gates had ordered some men to help bring Billy back onboard.

Flint's mind returned to the chaos of that day. The battles that raged on board - not just Harkon's ship but The Moray as well. The moment Billy had been pulled to safety, they fled the scene, leaving Harkon and the French to continue their battle.

Billy didn't want to leave - neither did Clem - but Wheeler seemed determined to escape from Harkon's grasp. It wasn't until they were well on their way away from the battle that he realized Lou wasn't among them but by then, the damage was already too late to repair.

Silver's eyes bounced between the two, brows furrowed in confusion. He was struggling to connect the pieces to the puzzle they had laid out before him. Usually, he'd be able to figure it out with relative ease but the way these two were skirting about the issue and leaving details vague, he was left to wait in confused silence. He braved the next question. "You think he's lying?"

Billy and Flint exchanged glances. Billy shrugged. "I don't trust him."

Flint lowered his hands back to the desk. "Normally, I'd agree with you...however, it would seem he's right about Harkon having The Moray."

"How do you figure that?" Billy retorted.

Flint drummed his thumb on the desk. "Clem has been sending me information on The Moray for a while and the simple fact that he's been hiding out in Port-au-Prince would tell me that he's been in hiding for quite some time." He lifted his gaze to meet Billy's. "I think he's wanting to see Harkon burn in hell for what he did to his crew and to Lou."

Billy shook his head. Silver could see it on his face just how much Billy wasn't buying it. He simply didn't believe Clem, that much was obvious, even to a man who wasn't there. There was one thing that Silver could see that lingered behind those blue eyes that were currently staring into Flint's soul - Hope.

Silver glanced over to Flint, seeing the captain's eyes narrowing at Billy, almost toying with the idea of leaving the man behind. Silver cleared his throat, knowing he needed to diffuse the situation quickly, he turned back to Billy. "What if Clem was right about someone else picking Lou up that day?" Billy's heated gaze turned to Silver as he continued, "If she is alive, wouldn't you want to know for certain, if nothing else?"

Billy's jaw tensed as he sighed heavily. The internal battle raging on in his mind was apparent to those staring at him. Billy had been asking that question for years - since that fateful day - and he still didn't have a proper answer to it yet. He felt he had made peace with the simple fact that she had drowned but to hear that she might still be alive was enough to make his head swim, just like the day he jumped in after her.

Flint broke his concentration by adding, "And if Harkon is still alive, wouldn't you want some sort of retribution for everything he's done? Not just to Lou but also to you?"

Billy gritted his teeth, sighing heavily as he stood straight. "Fine. But I still don't trust Clem."

"You don't have to trust him," Flint remarked. "You just have to listen to his directions."

Clem stood on the deck of The Walrus, staring out into the harbor of Port-au-Prince. His tired eyes darted around all of the ships anchored there. None of them were familiar to him. His heart ached as he stood there, remembering the last time he had been on a ship. He hadn't boarded a ship since he was rescued all those years ago.

Flint approached him, stopping just behind the man. "You're sure they will come here?"

Clem nodded. "Harkon is a creature of habit," he explained. "He'll be here."

"How are you so certain?" he questioned. "Maybe your information is incorrect."

"Hardly," Clem laughed. "Harkon's obsession with the blade and with Lou is why I'm so certain." He glanced over his shoulder to hold Flint's gaze. "Haven't you ever wanted something so badly that you couldn't let it go?"

Flint's face remained stoic but his mind immediately went back to the Urca. He had been obsessive about that ship for years before finally finding it and all of the drama that came with it. He blinked, breaking the connection with Clem, eyes darting to the harbor. "Is he coming to port or sailing by?"

Clem turned to scan the harbor again. "If I were him, I wouldn't risk stopping in the harbor. I'd come in from another side of the port if possible."

Flint nodded in silent agreement. It was what he would have done too if he were Harkon. He jutted his jaw slightly. "How long are we going to wait here then?"

Clem shrugged. "He should be sailing into view any moment now, based on the schedule I had been given."

This answer caused Flint to further question Clem. He studied the man, hoping to spot the slightest bit of deception. Clem didn't give him any cause for this doubt but there was that nagging suspicion eating away at him. He just couldn't figure out why.

Flint turned his gaze back to the harbor. Shaking his head slightly over the fact they still hadn't spotted The Moray, he headed to his cabin. On the way, he caught Silver's attention and motioned for him to join him.

Inside the captain's cabin, Silver closed the door behind him, head tilted slightly as he took in Flint's body language. "Something on your mind?"

Flint crossed his arms, leaning against his desk. "I want you to stay close to Clem - find out what he's planning."

"What he's planning?" Silver repeated. He gave him a disbelieving look. "Aren't you the one who suggested he come aboard?"

Flint shot him a look before exhaling sharply. "He's planning something - I just don't know what."

"And you want me," Silver began, taking a couple of steps forward. "To befriend him to discover what his motives are?" Flint nodded once. Silver asked, "Why me?"

Flint smirked, pushing away from his desk. "Because you have an uncanny ability to get people to open up and reveal all of their secrets." He lifted an amused expression over to Silver as he walked around his desk. "So, put that gift to use and find out what he knows."

Silver's lips curled at the corners briefly. "And if I learn that he's a problem?"

"You find me immediately," Flint explained.

"And then?"

"I'll deal with him when we reach that point."

Silver blinked at Flint, slowly nodding as he retreated from the cabin. He recognized the look on Flint's face. He knew at that moment just how severe this situation was becoming and he feared for all of the men on The Walrus.

That evening, Flint gazed out into the quiet harbor. The port city of Port-au-Prince was still bustling with activity but the harbor had nary a movement. Wherever The Moray was, it was late. Flint's guard was rising as he scanned the deck of his men. They were still prepared to follow orders, should they spot the vessel in question.

Clem hadn't moved from his place on deck since he boarded. His eyes were still cast forward, waiting for The Moray to appear. Flint had grown frustrated. The moment he had contemplated throwing Clem overboard, he saw the man straighten.

Flint turned his attention to the harbor where Clem had been staring. Moving past the harbor's entrance to the bay was the silhouette of a ship - The Moray. Even from this distance and the darkness of night, Flint recognized the ship. He turned to the helmsman and whispered the order to move out of the bay. Glancing over to another man, he relayed the order to another crewman to quietly inform the rest.

The Walrus began to slowly pull out of the harbor, making its way toward the sea. The Moray had moved by, continuing on its way. Flint could feel The Walrus catching speed as they tried to keep on The Moray's trail. He didn't want to lose her - not in the dark of night.

It dawned on Flint at that moment, Harkon knew The Moray would attract attention if anyone within port knew of the ship and her history. He had underestimated Harkon before and he nearly did it again. He stared at the fleeing ship, wondering why Harkon seemed familiar.

That familiarity regarding Harkon had popped into his mind more times than he cared to admit and yet, he struggled to recall from memory why that was. He knew his days in the Royal Navy seemed like another lifetime ago.

Flint watched as they chased The Moray. He knew The Walrus would be able to catch up based on speed alone - The Moray was a larger merchant ship. It wasn't built for speed but cargo. Memories of Wheeler explaining the hidden compartments on board to store extra goods - goods he didn't want the British to know about - meant The Moray rode lower in the water.

The ship still outpaced The Walrus. Flint questioned if they were truly giving chase to the right vessel when Clem approached him. "They must not be utilizing the ol' girl to her full capacity," he said. "She's moving faster than the day she was built."

Flint narrowed his eyes at Clem, shooting a quick glance at Silver. He turned back to The Moray. "Where are they heading? How long do we have to catch up?"

Clem thought for a moment. "If they stick to the route, they should be making their way to Bridgetown."

Flint mentally referenced his internal sea chart. Bridgetown was well over four days sailing in the best of conditions. He knew there were many dangers that could potentially crop up along the way - Royal Navy, other pirates, the French, storms - and knowing his luck as of late, this wouldn't be a simple endeavor.

They gave chase, slowly gaining on The Moray as night dissolved into morning. By the afternoon, The Moray had pulled away slightly. Flint ordered the crews to shift the rigging about, in hopes of redirecting the wind to gain a couple more knots. He refused to lose The Moray again.

"She's changing course!" a man shouted up to Flint.

Flint had noticed her subtle shift in direction a little while ago. He turned to the helmsman. "Stay with her!"

"Sails!" the crow's nest shouted down to them. Flint glanced up to see them pointing before them, slightly off the port bow. His eyes darted over to see another ship approaching The Moray.

This ship was unlike anything he had seen before. It was a black ship with dark red sails. Flint asked, "Recognize her?"

Clem shook his head. "No. I've never seen a ship like that before." Flint turned to look at him. There was something on Clem's expression that told Flint he was lying. He decided to keep this revelation in his pocket until the proper time. If Clem was planning something, he didn't want the man to know he was onto him.

Flint turned his gaze back onto the black ship as it came hard and fast at The Moray. He blinked in surprise as the ship opened fire upon The Moray. The Moray began its turn broadside, preparing to return fire.

Flint watched for a moment, trying to determine if the black ship would open fire upon them as well. So far, his observations showed it was more interesting in The Moray.

"Should we defend The Moray?" Silver asked, brows furrowed in confusion as he watched the battle before them.

Flint studied the battle taking place before them. He gritted his teeth. "Helmsman! Pull alongside The Moray, starboard!"

"Aye, Cap'n!"

Flint turned to Silver. "Find Billy. Get the men prepared to board The Moray. I want answers before that other ship blows them out of the water!"

Silver nodded, hurrying away to follow the given order. Silver didn't know what Flint's game was going to be but it was better than the alternative - waiting and being taken by surprise if they turned their guns onto them.

The Walrus moved alongside the opposite side of The Moray, gun ports opened preemptively. As they approached, the black ship continued its path forward, pushing The Moray into The Walrus's hull, pinning it.

Everyone on The Walrus fell, some catching themselves on the banisters or railing, others to the deck. Flint's angry gaze bounced across the way, watching as the crew of the black ship jumping over the bowsprit to The Moray.

Flint ordered his men to follow suit. His men began boarding The Moray from the other side. The men manning the merchant ship were taken by surprise as they were being boarded by both ships.

The Moray's crew put up quite the fight against both assaulting crews. The battle itself didn't last long for the crew of The Moray but Flint's crew and those from the black ship stood on opposite ends, aiming pistols at one another, unsure what to make of the other.

As they stared each other down, one of the men from the black ship's crew shouted across the deck, "We don't have a quarrel with you! Get back on your ship and sail away!" He towered over the rest of his men, a thick accent that seemed to have been muddled with a few others over the years. His long brown dreadlocks were knotted behind his head.

"We've got business with this crew-" Silver tried to say.

"Not anymore you don't!"

Silver took a step forward, hands raised defensively, showing he meant no harm to them. "Let's have a parlay! We can discuss this as friends!"

The other crew exchanged glances before the tall man stepped forward. "Very well. Bring your Captain forward." The man turned to his crew and ordered, "Secure these men. We will wait for the Captain."

Silver turned to the person next to him and muttered, "Fetch the Captain, quickly." The man nodded, climbing back over to The Walrus. He returned his gaze to the men across the deck.

He noticed they were all seasoned men, battle-hardened. He wondered who would come out on top if they were to fight these men. He wasn't convinced his crew would win.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Billy's tense posture, his stern expression glaring at the other crew, almost sizing them up. There was something about the way Billy stood since boarding The Moray and Silver wasn't sure what it was. He knew he'd have to keep a careful eye on the man.

Flint hopped onto the deck behind his men, eyes darting about the line of the other crew before turning his attention to the bound crew of The Moray. He studied each terrified face as he scanned through the crowd. None of them looked familiar. His brow knitted together, seemingly confused. This wasn't what he expected upon boarding.

He lifted his gaze back to the other crew. The heavily accented man stepped forward, sheathing his cutlass before motioning toward the stern. "Please, let us proceed with our parlay."

Flint glanced over his shoulder, motioning for Silver and Billy to join him. He observed Billy's agitated expression and posture. He hoped he wasn't about to regret asking the man to join in on the conversation. Billy's eyes lifted to meet Flint's. He simply nodded to the Captain, jaw squared as he brushed by.

Standing together at the helm, the accented man asked, "What business do you have with this crew?"

"That's none of your concern," Flint pointed out. "We were pursuing her before you showed up-"

The man laughed, showing his grin to be missing a few teeth, and the ones he had, were yellowed and crooked. "This pursuit of yours isn't as long as ours has been!"

Flint's expression shifted into confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"We've been after this ship for years-"

"Years?"

The man nodded. "Years. She's ours by right-"

"Are you the Captain?" Silver asked, interrupting the man's claims. When the man shook his head, Silver said, "We were both ordered to get our Captains. I held up my end of the parlay, now you should do the same and bring your Captain here now."

Flint's narrowed eyes took in the men standing before him. He questioned whether or not they even had a Captain. The way they were behaving suggested that perhaps they were acting on their own selfish desires. If it wasn't for the sound of boots on the deck, climbing up the stairs towards the decks, he would have ordered for his men to take command of the ship.

"Allow me to introduce you to our Captain," the accented man said, stepping aside. "Captain Jeanne de Clisson of The Black Widow."

As Billy and Flint lifted their gaze to see the woman standing before them, Billy gasped involuntarily as he took in the familiar frame and face that stared back at them with a stern expression.

Billy blinked in shock. "Lou?"

Her hardened expression didn't change as she stared back at them. She scoffed. "I should have known it was you."

Silver's confused expression turned slightly to Flint and Billy. "Do you know this woman?"

Flint shifted in his place. "She's the daughter of the man who used to own this ship...Louella Wheeler."

"I thought you said she died?" Silver mused, turning his gaze back to her.

She chuckled. "Death didn't want me." Her face darkened as she added, "Instead, he offered me a deal and I took it."


	11. Cutthroat Crew

The group had moved into the Captain's Cabin behind the helm to continue their conversation in private. Flint crossed his arms over his chest. "Your man called you, Jeanne de Clisson."

She smirked as she plopped down in the Captain's chair behind the desk, lifting and dropping her feet onto the desktop. "That's right."

"You've changed your name or is this an alibi?" Flint questioned.

Placing her hands behind her head, she admitted, "A bit of both, I suppose." When she noticed they weren't going to leave the matter alone, she sighed. "I suppose if we have any hope of moving past this, I need to explain." She dropped her hands from the back of her head to her lap. "After I fell into the sea that day," she began, eyes flitting over to Billy. He clenched his fists, trying to keep himself calm. She continued, "I thought I was as good as dead. Just as I was prepared to sink to the bottom of the abyss, I was plucked out of the raging sea."

"By who?"

"The French," she admitted, head tilting to the side slightly. "I watched as you left me behind." She saw their stunned exchanged glances and added, "I understand why you did it. I don't harbor any ill will against you."

Billy's mouth fell agape. "I searched for you...I…"

Flint turned slightly to Billy, eyebrow raised. He shook his head slightly, letting the man know that now wasn't the time to discuss such matters. Billy's gaze dropped to the floor as he shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around the past.

Her eyes darted between the two. "What possessed you to track down this ship after all of these years?"

Flint straightened, hands falling to his pistol and cutlass, unsure if he'd have reason to use them after he spoke. "An informant of mine had contacted me recently to tell me about the sudden reappearance of The Moray. We came searching for her."

Her eyes narrowed at him, studying him before asking, "But why?"

"Let's just say that something about how things went down that day all those years ago still resonated with me," he explained. With a shrug, he added, "I can't let go of something like that easily."

She noticed Silver and Billy nodding slightly to confirm what he said was true. She fiddled with the button on her burgundy coat. "Who was your informant?"

Silence overtook the room. She lifted her eyes to study the three standing before the desk. "What are you not telling me?" The men before her remained silent. She stood up from the chair, placing her hands on the desktop. "Who is it?"

Flint gritted his teeth, tilting his head slightly as he gazed at her hardening expression. "Clem."

Flint watched as her expression darkened to such a degree, it sent shivers down his spine. He had never seen such a look cross her face years ago. He began to wonder what happened to her to change her completely.

Billy had the same reaction to her darkened mood. He stared at her, mouth hung open, as he blinked the stunned feeling from his mind. He recalled her timid nature, a girl who jumped at the mention of sails being spotted off the bow. Instead, he was standing face to face with a woman who seemed bloodthirsty and determined. He wondered if this was the same woman he knew years ago or simply someone who looked like another from his memory.

Her posture grew rigid, hands balling into fists as they sat on the top of the desk. "Where is he?"

Silver furrowed his brow. "What makes you think he's with us?"

"Don't lie to me," she spat. "Where is he?"

Flint cleared his throat. "Aboard my ship."

"I'd like to see him."

"I'm not sure that's wise-" Silver began, hand reaching out as though to calm the room.

Flint interrupted him. "I'll have him brought over."

"Good," she replied. "Then we can settle the matter of this crew after."

Flint ordered Silver to fetch Clem from The Walrus. As Silver shot him a concerned glance, he left to fulfill the order. Flint turned his attention back to the woman before him. "So, what do we call you now?" he asked. "Lou? Jeanne?"

"It doesn't matter much to me," she replied with a shrug. "Most know me as The Widow these days."

Flint blinked at her. "I've heard some stories of someone by that name but never would have thought it to be you."

A small smile spread across her lips. "Things change."

"So it would seem."

Billy couldn't think of anything to add to their conversation. He remained shocked that she stood before him. He wanted to ask her questions, find out what happened to her all those years ago. He needed some time alone with her but he wasn't sure he'd be able to - of if he'd even want to.

A few silent moments had passed before the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed on the other side of the door. The wooden door creaked open and Silver entered first, Clem following behind. He hadn't glanced up to see Jeanne standing at the desk.

Clem closed the door to the cabin before turning around, looking up to be eye to eye with Flint. "You called for me?" Flint stepped aside, allowing Clem to finally lay eyes on the ghost of a woman behind the desk. Clem's face paled, a small sweat broke out over his brow. His eyes widened, mouth fell open as he gawked at her. "You…"

"Hello again, Clem," she said, walking to the front of the desk. "Been a while."

Clem's terrifying expression bounced between the men surrounding him, almost pleading silently for help or protection. Flint's narrowed eyes studied both parties. He seemed confused by the reaction - this was not how he expected their reunion to be.

"What's the matter, Clem?" she taunted. "Aren't you happy to see me?" She leaned against the front of the desk, arms crossed over her chest as her head tilted to the side, awaiting his answer.

Billy's brows furrowed as he glanced over at the scared Clem. He looked back to her to see the hatred and betrayal wash over her expression. It finally clicked within his mind that somewhere along the road, Clem had been the reason she ended up in Harkon's grasp. It was all he could think of but he struggled to believe that.

"Of-of course I am," he stammered, shifting uncomfortably in his place.

"How have you been?" she asked, eyes fixated on him, causing him to shift again.

He swallowed nervously. "Look, I-"

She held up her hand. "Save it, Clem. I don't want to hear your lies." She pushed herself back up to her feet. "Let's just cut to the chase here. I know everything that you did."

Clem's eyes widened more than anyone thought was possible. His hands raised defensively. "I did what I had to, to save you!"

She smirked. "I'd ask you to explain but I really don't give a shit what your reasonings are."

"Please, Lou-"

"You don't get to call me that!" she shouted, startling everyone within the room. "Lou is dead. She doesn't exist anymore! Her blood is on your hands - just like Wheeler's and the rest of the crew-"

"I didn't kill your father-"

"No, you're right," she sighed. "You just led Harkon to him." Silence overtook the room again as she added, "And the countless lives on my husband's ship…" she pointed at him, eyes blazing with anger. "You murdered all of them."

Flint and Billy glanced between the two in stunned silence. Before either one of them could react, Jeanne pulled her pistol from her belt, aiming at Clem's face.

Billy reached out to stop her, mouth open to shout. Flint pulled his pistol from his belt, aiming it back at her. "Just a moment!" he ordered. "You kill him and we lose all hope we have of finding Harkon."

"No, we don't," she retorted. "Because I know where to find him." Her eyes remained locked on Clem. "We don't need him alive."

Clem swallowed nervously, eyes bouncing between Flint and Jeanne. "Please-"

"If you speak one more word," she warned. "I will pull the trigger."

Flint's brow knitted together, weighing his options. He asked, "Why don't you explain to us why you think he's a traitor?"

"I don't think anything of the sort," she told him. "I know for a fact that he is." She didn't remove her gaze from Clem as she asked, "Isn't that right?"

Clem nodded, shoulders slumping forward. "Yes…" his voice was barely a whisper.

Billy felt his blood boil over the idea that Clem had betrayed all of them all those years ago. He grabbed a chair, slamming it beside the man. He pointed to it. "Sit down and start talking."

Jeanne noted Billy's ire and made a mental note to ask about it later. Her eyes bounced back to Clem, her gun still trained on him. Clem sat down, knees bobbing nervously.

Clem sighed, running his hands up and down his thighs nervously. "I never meant for you to be caught up in all of this," he began, briefly looking up to meet Jeanne's gaze. "Your father knew about the blade all along. He was hired by Harkon around the same time you joined our crew-"

"I'm confused," Silver interrupted. "You're saying that her father was working with this Harkon-"

Clem nodded. "Yes. It's why he built the ship the way he did." He glanced about the cabin, motioning with his hands. "Why he had hiding holes everywhere..." He sighed heavily as he continued, "Harkon knew all about the smuggling holes-"

Jeanne shook her head. "I don't believe you," she spat. "If all of this was true, why did he cut my father's leg off? Why did he go to such lengths to keep the facade going?"

Clem shrugged. "I don't know! He was unpredictable! You know that! But...but Harkon knew you were still on board-"

Memories flooded Billy's mind of the time he hid in the hole with Lou. Harkon's voice was right outside their hole, saying he could smell her. Billy muttered, "I believe him…"

"I beg your pardon?" she retorted, eyes turning onto him.

Billy nodded. "I think he's telling the truth on that...don't you remember when we hid…"

Jeanne's face twisted when the realization struck her. Her eyes darted back to Clem. Clem continued, "I don't know why Wheeler did what he did...but... " His tortured expression lifted to meet hers. "I did what I thought I had to, to protect you!"

"By telling Harkon where to find my father?" she retorted, face darkening. "By telling him where to find me? Helping him slaughter good men-"

"I didn't slaughter anyone!"

"You might not have been wielding the weapon," she began. "But you are responsible for their deaths because of your loose lips."

Flint shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm still lost," he stated. "How is he responsible for anything?"

Jeanne's jaw jutted out briefly before explaining, "Harkon didn't know where my father had disappeared to. Clem told him, isn't that right?" Clem hung his head in defeat, nodding slightly. She continued, "It wasn't until after he led Harkon to my father that Harkon murdered him for not handing the Black Blade over and then demanded that he tell him where to find me."

"Wait," Silver interjected, looking at Clem. "I thought he nearly killed you-"

She laughed. "Harkon didn't need him anymore," she said. "So after getting what he wanted from Clem and those who remained alive, he decided to tie up loose ends. Am I right?"

Clem nodded again. "He tried to kill me and my men once I gave him what he wanted...and I know now that it was a mistake." He looked up pleadingly at Jeanne. He sighed, saying, "I didn't know what he was capable of-"

Jeanne laughed, rubbing her temple with her fingers. "Are you joking? You knew exactly what he was capable of!"

Billy recalled the scars that lined her back, knowing just the tip of the sword in regards to Harkon's limits. His eyes remained locked on Jeanne. He could see the ire and hatred on her expression as she glared at Clem. He knew she blamed the man and was on the warpath to seek revenge. A nagging voice in the back of his mind told him Clem's days - if not hours - were numbered.

Flint asked, "What happened after he left you to die?"

Clem swallowed, averting his gaze away from Jeanne. "He went looking for Lou…"

She gritted her teeth as Flint lifted his eyes to watch her. "What happened?"

She didn't blink. "Harkon found us-"

"Us?" Silver asked, trying to keep the details straight.

She inhaled deeply before saying, "The French...my husband and his crew...those responsible for saving my life all those years ago." She let loose a short laugh. "As I said earlier, they plucked me from the water. Cleaned me up, cared for me...and eventually, loved me enough to take me as far away as possible from it all." Her heated eyes locked with Clem. "Until this bastard sent the devil to our stoop."

"What happened?" Flint pushed. "Focus and tell me-"

"Harkon destroyed our ship so they couldn't flee!" she spat. "He boarded the ship and slaughtered all of the men on board! Beheaded my husband-"

"Where were you?" Silver questioned. "If he was after you, why did he leave you behind?"

"I wasn't on the ship at the time," she admitted. "I was in France with our son."

Billy's head snapped up at the revelation that she had not only moved on and married someone else but had a child with him. He felt the bile in his stomach rising at the thought. His memories were taunting him over the time he spent with her all those years ago. He closed his eyes to silently tell them to shut up.

"Word got back to me that Harkon had murdered all of those men," she stated. "Good men, I might add."

"So, you decided to go after him yourself?" Flint asked.

"He kept one man from the crew alive," she recalled. "And he led Harkon back to me." She blinked back the tears as she spoke, voice cracking under the weight of the words that came tumbling out, "He murdered my son in his bed, painting his name on the nursery walls to let me know that he had found me." Her hatred grew as she pointed to Clem. "He led them straight to me, killing innocents...and he can't live another day for that."

"So this is all revenge?" Silver asked, connecting the dots.

"He didn't stop murdering the French after my husband's crew," she explained. "He's continuing to slaughter them to send a message to me. And believe me, I have been answering his messages with equal measure."

"What does that mean?" Billy questioned.

She lifted her gaze to meet his. "I have been slaughtering his own crew in kind. This is one of his crew. I will spare the crew but the Lieutenants that command these vessels will meet the same fate my husband did."

Silver chuckled. "I remember the stories now…" he turned to Billy and Flint. "There were rumors in Nassau of a female pirate beheading British officers to avenge her spouse's death...I thought it was just a fable told by drunken pirates but…" His eyes turned back to an amused Jeanne. "Turns out she's very much real."

"Where is Harkon now?" Flint asked, turning his attention to a crying Clem.

Clem shook his head. "I don't know-" He saw Jeanne's tense posture as he glanced up at her, hand raised to stop her from striking him. "I swear, Lou! I don't know where he is! It's why I've been reaching out to Cap'n Flint! It's why I led him here-"

Jeanne sighed. "I've had about enough of this." She raised her pistol, aiming it at Clem's forehead. Before any of them had a chance to react, she pulled the trigger, blowing his brains out behind him. The blood splattered onto the floor behind him, narrowly missing Billy and Silver who stood behind the rest.

Flint's stunned expression stared at the woman. He blinked at her. "Was that really necessary?"

"I'm sorry," she began, a hint of sarcasm dripping from her tone. She placed a hand over her chest as she spoke. "Did you want to keep him alive so he could betray you too? Was I being too presumptuous?" She scoffed, putting her pistol back in her belt. "Believe me, he wasn't telling the whole truth."

Flint's eyes narrowed at her suspiciously. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning he was still working with Harkon," she claimed. "Because if he was being honest about everything, Harkon would be on this ship." She motioned around with her arms outstretched. "And I don't see him, do you?"

Flint kept his gaze locked with hers. "What do you suggest, then?"

"We ask the man in charge," she stated, unsheathing her cutlass. "And then I do what I came here to do before we leave."

She brushed by the men to leave the cabin. Silver turned to Flint and Billy. "Was she always this intense?"


	12. A Will Of Steel

Outside on The Moray's deck, Jeanne stood before the Lieutenant in charge of the ship, her sword in hand with the tip sunk into the wooden plank by her foot. Placing her free hand on her hip, she narrowed her dark eyes at him. "Where's Harkon?"

"Who?"

"I wouldn't recommend playing aloof with me," she warned. Her eyes studied the man before her. He was dressed in typical Royal Navy fatigues, his hair hidden underneath the white wig they all wore and she learned to despise. The fear on his face was apparent. She sighed. "I'll ask you again and this time, think carefully before you answer because you won't get another chance." She shifted her weight onto her other leg. "Where is Harkon?"

Billy watched as Jeanne stood before the Lieutenant, questioning him on the whereabouts of Harkon. He muttered under his voice to Flint, "Should we stop her?"

Flint glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Do you want to step in the way of this?"

"So, we're just going to sit here and do nothing?"

Flint turned his attention back to Jeanne, refusing to answer Billy. He was still trying to figure out what her game was. He watched her carefully as she questioned the frightened man before her.

The man stammered, "I-I swear, I don't know-"

She sucked on her teeth. "Wrong answer." She motioned to her men to grab the Lieutenant. They hoisted him up to his feet, bringing him before the rest of the crew. They pushed him to his knees, forcing his head down in preparation for his execution. Jeanne placed her blade against the man's neck and gazed out into the crew. "Who is the First Mate?"

A man hesitated before finally raising his hand, eyes showing the terror of the situation behind them.

She nodded. "Congratulations. You've just been promoted to Captain." With that said, she brought her blade back to strike. Quickly, she sliced through the air and the Lieutenant's neck with ease. The sound of the man's head hitting the deck with a thump echoed around those watching, rolling to a stop before the newly appointed captain's boots.

She wiped the blade off on the dead man's Royal Navy coat, turning her gaze back to the new captain. "Now," she began with a sigh. "Where is Harkon?"

"H-He's on his way to Havana," he replied, shaking on his knees.

"Havana," she repeated. "Why?"

The man shook his head. "I-I don't know, ma'am…"

"Relax," she told him. "I'm not interested in killing you...yet." She sheathed her sword, placing both hands on her hips. "If you are telling me the truth, you and your men are free to go." She knelt to look the man in the eye. "If you are lying to me, I will hunt you and your crew down and repeat this moment."

His eyes widened. "I swear...that's the truth as I know it."

Smirking, she stood back up. "Of that, I have no doubts."

She nodded to her crew and they began to move back to their ship. She approached Flint and his men. "It was nice seeing you again, Captain."

"Where are you running to now?" Flint questioned. "What about your father's ship?"

She laughed. "This isn't my father's ship. It's a replica."

"How do you figure that?" Silver asked, balking at her remark.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Because there was a massive bloodstain in my father's cabin that no amount of cleaning could get rid of - let alone the smell - and there's none of that in there." She pointed to the cabin behind them. "I spent the better part of my life aboard The Moray - and I can tell you without any hesitation or uncertainty, this is not that ship."

As she began to turn to leave, Flint reached out and grabbed her elbow. She whirled around, knife out, tip piercing through his coat. Billy held a gun out, prepared to fire upon her if she proceeded with her attack. Her eyes didn't budge off of Flint.

"We should work together," Flint stated, ignoring the scratch of the knife tip on his flesh. "We could take Harkon down together."

"And why would I agree to that?"

"Because you won't succeed without help," Flint told her. "I remember Harkon's determination and what he will do if he is face to face with you…"

Her lips turned slightly up into a smile. "You're still after the blade."

Flint shrugged. "I also have a personal vendetta to settle with him."

Her narrowed eyes took his expression in. She wasn't convinced by his words but eventually agreed. "Fine. But I warn you - if you or your men cross me, there will be no mercy from any of us."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from The Widow," Flint remarked, releasing his hold on her. She pulled her knife back, sheathing it within her sleeve. He added, "Let's go back to Nassau. We can discuss the next steps there." Nodding, she turned to leave. Flint's eyes bounced to Billy and added, "Take Billy with you."

She whirled around, glaring at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"An assurance that you'll keep your end of the bargain," he explained. "He'll make sure you get to Nassau."

Her eyes darted to Billy, briefly taking in his stunned expression before turning back to Flint. "And what's stopping me from killing him anyway?"

He shrugged. "Do what you must but I doubt you will."

Billy scoffed, glaring at Flint. He couldn't believe Flint suggested to her to kill him if she wanted to. His loyalties to his captain were starting to become questionable. He also didn't trust this new woman standing before him. He inhaled deeply hoping that he wasn't about to sign his death warrant as he approached her. "Don't worry," he started. "I'll stay out of your way."

Billy had been genuinely surprised Jeanne kept true to her word. She didn't harm any other men on board the vessel they left behind. She didn't even bother to sink it. He had asked her about her reasoning behind why she would risk them heading back to inform Harkon. Her response was simply, 'I certainly hope they do'.

Both ships had set sail toward Nassau. They were a few days sail out but there didn't appear to be anything on the horizon to suggest they'd be delayed. Billy secretly hoped to avoid being stuck in a room with Jeanne for any length of time. His luck, however, had something else planned.

That evening, Billy found himself on deck, watching The Walrus lead the way toward Nassau. The clear sky above allowed the bright moon and stars to shine down upon them, illuminating both ships off the dark sea.

"What are you doing out here?" a familiar voice spoke behind him. Billy whirled around and saw Jeanne staring at him. In this light, he was reminded of who she was all those years ago. He could see that familiar innocent expression as she blinked at him. The way she stood before him was the same when he confronted her in her quarters. Everything about her in the moonlight brought him back to memories of old and his heart ached at the lingering ghosts.

He cleared his throat. "I needed some air."

Her jaw jutted out slightly, showing her disbelief on what he said. Taking a step forward, she stopped beside him at the railing. Gazing out across the dark, moon-lit sea, she remained silent.

Billy could see her mind racing with thoughts. He hesitated as he turned his gaze out before them. He wanted to ask her questions but wasn't sure where to start - if he should bother. She had moved on and he didn't want to remind her of the old days.

Finally, she broke the silence. "I'm sorry you got wrapped up in all of this."

He furrowed his brow at her. "You're apologizing to me?" She turned to look at him, confusion marred her expression. He shook his head. "After all this time, you're apologizing to me?" He scoffed, running his hand through his hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Lou...erm...Jeanne." She opened her mouth to speak when he turned back to face her. "What happened back then?"

Her lips pressed together into a tight line. "I told you what happened."

"I jumped in after you," he told her. "You slipped from the plank and I dove into the water after you."

Her expression faltered. She had no idea he nearly sacrificed his life to try and save hers. "That was stupid-"

"I had Flint chase Harkon halfway around the ocean searching for you," he said. "Why would I let you slip through my fingers the moment we found you?"

"You left me," she retorted, eyes blazing with ire. "You were pulled out of the sea and all of you left me there."

Billy gritted his teeth, hissing, "I begged Flint to stay until we found you."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Then why didn't you stay?"

"You wouldn't believe me-"

"What happened?"

"Your father demanded we leave!" Billy shouted. He sighed, head falling to his chest. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to meet her stunned ones. "I didn't want to tell you that but...Damn it, Lou...I begged them to stay a while longer...You have to believe me!"

Her lips twisted together in thought. She slowly nodded as she took in what he had said. Turning on her heel, she started to walk away.

"That's it?" he questioned.

Glancing over her shoulder, she held his confused stare. "If what you say is true, then there's not much else to be said."

Billy's brow furrowed. He could see she had a thought coursing through her mind, that much was apparent, he just didn't know what it was. He watched her as she crossed across the deck back to her cabin.

As the days continued to drift slowly by, the ships made the journey toward Nassau without much resistance. Billy had continued to try and reconnect with Lou as cautiously as he could. Something still lingered in the dark recesses of his mind that she was no longer the same woman he knew years prior.

This version of her was stronger, hardened, and merciless. She didn't cower before others like she seemed to before. Even her features seemed battle-worn. Her expression told him that she was constantly thinking about something - and he had been afraid to ask what weighed on her mind.

When the decision to take her crew back to Nassau was first mentioned, Billy had reservations on the matter. He feared for her. After spending some time with her aboard her ship, he realized she could hold her own. He now feared for the residents of the island instead. The only one who might be able to stand on the same level as this version of Lou was that Anne Bonny woman.

That evening, Billy entered the galley in hopes of grabbing a bite to eat. The crew was finishing up their meals before the night crews took over. He approached the cook who scooped the slop out of the large pot, dumping it messily into a shallow tin bowl. He held it out for Billy to take.

Billy forced a smile on his face, gritting his teeth at the disgusting meal in his hands. He sat down at the long table beneath the lamp that swayed on the hook, allowing the light to bounce off the ship and create dancing shadows.

He sneered at the slop on the table before him, grimacing at the idea of having to eat it. His stomach churned preemptively at the thought. Just as he dipped the spoon into the grey food, a voice cleared before him. Raising his blue eyes, they studied the frame of the figure before settling on the amused face of Lou. She had a smirk on her face.

She raised an eyebrow, motioning with her head at his food. "How is it?"

He scoffed. "I thought Silver's food was bad…" She laughed as she sat across from him at the table, elbows propped up on the top. He blinked at her. "How can any of you eat this?"

She smirked at him. "We don't."

"Excuse me?"

"The crew is pulling your leg," she explained, a small giggle escaping her lips. She motioned over to the cook who promptly brought two bowls of real food to the table. She pulled her bowl over and said, "It's a sort of initiation thing for them."

Billy forced a smile, though it was evident he was not amused. He pulled the bowl of fish stew closer to him. He could see potatoes and other vegetables in the broth. The smells were intoxicating. He took a bite and moaned with approval. "This is amazing!" She wore a big smile on her lips as she nodded in agreement. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the cook before asking, "How did you manage to find such a good cook?"

She swallowed, looking at him for a moment. She admitted, "We kidnapped him."

Billy laughed as he plunged his spoon back into the stew, bringing it up to his lips. When his eyes met hers, he blinked at her. "You're serious?"

She nodded, taking another bite. "Of course, I'm serious."

Billy's eyes darted back to the cook. He studied the man carefully. Billy pointed out, "He doesn't look like he's against his will."

"That's probably because we treat him with respect," she said. "Unlike his former employer, we aren't animals."

"His former employer?" Billy asked, turning back to her.

She put her spoon down. "Harkon."

Billy choked on his food. He coughed a few times as he held her gaze, eyes wide as he realized what she had said. "Harkon?" he repeated.

She sucked on her teeth, nodding slightly. "We tried to murder that son of a bitch years ago in his home but he wasn't there."

"Where was he?"

"Off fucking some harlot across town," she said, glancing back to her half-eaten bowl of stew. "The thought crossed my mind to track him down and murder both of them but I knew we'd ever escape that town if we did...and I can't do that to my men."

Billy studied her for a moment. He could see the dedication she had for her crew. He knew she wouldn't put them into any undue harm if she could help it. He began to question Flint's plan to get The Moray - Flint didn't care about Harkon - he simply wanted the Black Blade.

"You're thinking awfully hard about something," Jeanne said, breaking his concentration.

Billy's eyes darted about her face before he opened his mouth to speak. He felt like he had to warn her about Flint's plan. Before he had a chance to say anything, one of her crewmen approached. "Captain? We're nearing Nassau."

She nodded, keeping her gaze locked with Billy. When the crewman walked away, she waited, hoping he'd say whatever plagued his mind. When it became obvious he wasn't about to, she stood up from the table, heading back to the upper decks.

Billy kicked himself for not speaking up sooner. Something horrible was on the horizon - this he knew. He just didn't know what to say or how to say it.

Outside on the upper decks, Jeanne stared out into the harbor of a familiar port. The last time she was there, she had offered herself up to Harkon to protect Billy and the men on her father's ship. The memories struck her hard as she stared into the distance. She didn't even hear Billy pad up behind her.

"It hasn't changed much," he admitted as he scanned the shore. "A few more pirates, maybe…"

She blinked back to the present, shaking the ghosts of old. Licking her lips, she took a deep breath in. "What's Flint's plan? Why come here? It's not like Harkon will come here."

Billy shrugged. "Hard to say when Flint's involved," he admitted. "However, I think we could use some extra hands if we're to face Harkon and his men in battle."

Jeanne nodded, knowing this statement was true. Her ship wasn't built to take on the kind of ship Harkon's men usually commanded. Hers didn't have the firepower but they did have the warriors for boarding.

Glancing over her shoulder, she shouted to the helmsman to follow Flint's lead into the harbor. When they anchored in the bay, she ordered launches prepared to head inland.

Billy climbed in behind her. "Be careful with the inhabitants here-"

She raised an eyebrow as she glared at him. "Do I look like a damsel in distress?"

He blinked at her, scanning the length of her as she sat across from him in the launch. "Uh, no…"

Her lips twisted as she held back a facetious retort. She nodded to the men at the oars to begin their trek inland. She shook her head, thinking about Billy's comment.

She knew he meant well - hell, the last time he saw her, she was a damsel in distress. It wasn't his fault for going off of history. She would have liked to think, however, that since being confronted once more, he would be able to open his eyes to the changes she underwent. Still, she couldn't blame him. There were days she didn't recognize the person who stared back at her.

The launches reached the dock shortly after Flint and his men. Jeanne, Billy, and a couple of her men climbed out of the launches, making their way to where Flint stood.

Flint eyed the two of them as they approached. His arms rested along his sword and pistol. "We should head to the tavern to have our discussion."

Flint led the way along the sandy beach toward the center of the port city of Nassau. Jeanne followed along, keeping her attention at those around her, staring with wide eyes and hushed whispers. She wondered how many of them knew who she was.

Entering into the tavern, Jeanne's eyes took in the state of the place. She could see that it was well kept, which came as a shock to her. For some reason, she pictured a rundown facility with drunken fat pirates. Glancing about, there were a few of those passed out in the corners of the room.

Flint led them upstairs to the loft which overlooked the rest of the tavern. No sooner did they get themselves situated around the table, did the barkeep drop off pitchers of rum with some mugs.

The moment they were finally alone, Flint pulled some rolled parchment from his coat, unrolling them as he said, "We've got the route in which The Moray was due to travel." He placed the maps down in the center of the wooden table, leaning over to snatch a couple of mugs to place on each end of the paper to keep them from rolling. He stood up and pointed to the map with hand-drawn routes. "We intercepted The Moray here with you-"

"It wasn't The Moray," Jeanne interrupted. "It was a replica."

Flint's eyes lifted from the map to meet her gaze. She seemed unimpressed by the fact that he possessed the route. "However, the routes proved true."

She leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms across her chest, narrowing her dark eyes at him. "According to whom? You? Clem?"

"Despite what happened between you two, Clem had proven himself useful-"

"Useful?" Jeanne repeated, voice feigning shock. With a shake of her head, she released a soft chuckle. "As useful as a rock in your boot, I suppose." She pinched the bridge to her nose briefly before looking back at the rest of them. "Harkon's playing all of you...and you're letting him."

"Why do you think that?" Flint questioned. "Clem had no reason-"

"He had every reason!" she snapped. "Harkon just didn't bet on us killing him!" She stood up and looked at the route, eyes scanning the map carefully. Her finger darted to a section of the map. "This route? It's new. He's leading you into a trap. If you follow the information that Clem gave to you, you might as well murder your crew and save them the effort."

Flint's gaze drifted back to the map. "You're certain this is new?"

Jeanne sighed, tilting her head at him. "Despite what you may have thought of me all those years ago," she began, glancing at all of them. "I was in charge of a lot - the routes, the trade, the inventory." She shook her head as she motioned to the map. "This is all fucked up. When are you going to listen to me and believe that Clem was a rat - a fucking washed up rat being controlled by Harkon?"

Billy kept his eyes trained on Jeanne. He could see the truth behind her angry gaze. He asked, "What would you do?"

The question took her by surprise - and not just her, but Flint as well. Her eyes darted between Billy and Flint. She expected Flint to interject and tell her that her opinions were void. To her genuine surprise, he waited patiently for her to speak up.

Licking her lips, she bent over the map. "From the looks of your information, he's trying to push you into a chokehold here." She pointed to a section of the map where several smaller islands would provide cover and blindspots for hiding. "If I know Harkon - which I do - he'd most likely plant a ship or two here," she pointed to where she was referring. "And here." Her finger drifted an inch away, showcasing where she'd tactically place an ambush.

She stood up straight and scanned their faces as they hunched over to look at the map again. "He knows you're trying to find him and the blade. He won't let you do either easily. He'll try his best to destroy you before you get anywhere near him."

Flint stood up straight, hands flat on the table. "What would you suggest then?"

"You said you had friends who could help?" she asked. When Flint gave a small nod, she suggested, "I'd ask them for a favor and make arrangements to cut the head off the shark while you have a chance - before Harkon catches wind of what you're doing...because you'll only have one shot at this."

Flint's jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth. He clearly didn't want to ask for a favor. He'd rather just figure something out using The Walrus and The Widow but he had to trust her. That meant he had one other person he could speak to for help and he wasn't looking forward to the conversation.


	13. Oceanbound

Flint entered the busy brothel, lips forming a sneer. This was one of the last places he'd ever come to on the island. He stood in the entryway, scanning the place in hopes of spotting the man he was there to speak with.

A young woman started to approach him, a warm sultry smile on her lips. He shot her a warning glare. She froze in her tracks, slinking backward away from him, clearly understanding his meaning.

Scanning the room again, his narrowed eyes finally locked onto the familiar frame of the scrawny Calico Jack Rackham. Inhaling deeply, he marched over to the man. It didn't take him long before Rackham glanced up at his approach.

"Captain Flint," Jack began, a sly smile on his expression. "My, my. This is quite the surprise-"

"Where's your Captain?" Flint asked, interrupting the man.

"Charles is not available-"

"Jack," Flint snapped, eyes blazing with ire. "If I were you, I'd find him quickly. I'm not in the mood for your squabbling."

Jack studied Flint for a moment before nodding. "Of course. My apologies. I'll be back presently."

Flint's eyes never left Rackham as he slunk away from him, dodging into a backroom. It wasn't long before Jack exited the backroom with Bonny and Vane in tow.

Charles stopped before Flint. "Word is you're looking for me?"

"I have a proposition for you."

Vane chuckled. "You? I figured I'd be the last person you'd want working alongside you-"

"You are," Flint retorted. "However, the situation requires the best…"

"The best?" Vane repeated, eyes narrowing at him suspiciously.

Flint smirked. "The best of the lot on this island, outside of myself, of course."

"Of course," Vane replied, shaking his head in amusement. "What is it this time? Another treasure ship?"

Flint didn't blink at the obvious jab. He held Vane's stare, stepping closer to the man. "The Black Blade."

Charles laughed. "The one you lost all those years ago?" He glanced over his shoulder to the others, before turning back to Flint. "What makes you so certain that it's still around?"

"Because I have Wheeler's daughter," Flint remarked. "And she's hell-bent on revenge."

Vane's eyes narrowed again. "And you believe her to be ready to do whatever it takes to achieve it?"

Flint's lips curved into a devious smile. "She murdered her father's first mate because of it," he explained. "And countless British Naval officers." Flint could see that the three weren't buying what he was telling them. He added, "She's The Widow."

"The Widow?" Jack repeated. "As in the Widow?"

Flint nodded once. Vane sucked on his teeth as he thought. "I want to meet her," Vane stated. "And I want to discuss payment."

"She's waiting at the tavern," Flint told him. "Let's not keep her waiting." With that said, the four returned to the tavern to flush out the details.

At the tavern, Jeanne's eyes lifted to see Flint accompanied with three others, one of them was a woman. It intrigued her to see another female in a world of men.

Flint motioned toward her. "Jeanne de Clisson." He pointed to the taller, more muscular man. "Charles Vane."

Vane eyed her. "You're the widow?"

"So they tell me," she replied, keeping her face void of emotion. She wanted to see what this man would do if he thought differently. She wanted to observe his movements first before reacting aggressively.

Vane glanced over to Flint. "What would be our share in all of this?"

Flint pointed to Jeanne. "She wants revenge. I want the sword."

"That's it?" Charles asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The rest is up for grabs," Flint told him. "You can have everything else - the ship, even, if you want - I don't care."

Vane turned to look at his friends. Jack was trying to keep his composure but Charles could see his approval plain as day, which meant the others in the room could too. His eyes darted over to Anne. She rolled her eyes, not caring one way or another.

He turned back to face the others. "Everything else?" he repeated. "What happens to the crew?"

Jeanne cleared her throat. "If it's Harkon's men, there won't be any survivors."

"Seems rather harsh," Jack stated.

Jeanne's hardened gaze drifted over to him. "Actually," she began. "It's a long time coming. Death was expecting them years ago. I'm just the messenger."

Anne's lips twisted slightly at the remark, clearly approving of her statement. Jack seemed uncomfortable, shifting slightly under her gaze.

Charles asked, "What's the plan? Chase after him and hope he surrenders?"

Jeanne straightened and pointed to the map that remained on the table. "Actually, I was thinking we would stop their ambush with one of our own."

The three approached the table, looking over the unfurled map. Flint and Jeanne began explaining the situation and the potential to shift the tides of war to their favor. They knew they would only have one shot at succeeding in this. Should they fail, Harkon would slip through their fingers once more and the likelihood of finding him again would be slim to none.

Charles Vane agreed to the plan that Flint and Jeanne were putting into motion. With the combined forces of The Walrus, The Widow, and The Ranger, Jeanne believed they had a fighting chance to take Harkon down. Flint, on the other hand, wasn't convinced but remained silent on the matter.

Billy remained on board The Widow with Jeanne as the three ships began to pull out of Nassau's harbor. He didn't have to go with her but there was a nagging voice in the back of his head that forced the decision. It didn't help that he had Flint silently ordering him to go either.

Billy stood next to the helm of The Widow as they followed The Walrus out of the bay. His eyes drifted up to the sky to see it void of clouds. He hoped they'd make good time to get to the choke point for their ambush. It would be a few days sail yet but he knew how quickly the weather on the open seas could shift.

The three ships exited the bay with ease, unfurling their sails, and picking up speed as they entered the wide-open ocean. Billy's eyes scanned the decks, watching the crew fall into positions, performing their duties to the letter. They moved with speed and precision, better than most on his own ship. He wondered how Jeanne managed such a crew by herself.

Thinking of Jeanne, Billy glanced around but failed to see her. He turned and headed into the lower decks in search of her. He meandered through the decks, unsuccessful in his quest to find her. When he stopped just outside of her quarters, he saw light shifting within and knew she was inside. He approached the door and knocked.

"Enter," her voice called faintly from the inside.

He pushed the heavy door open with the twist of the knob. His eyes darted up as he entered, meeting her gaze before she turned back to her desk. He closed the door behind him before approaching her.

"What can I do for you, Billy?"

He watched her carefully. She hadn't looked up since he entered. His eyes drifted down to the desktop. She had the maps open before her again. His brows furrowed briefly. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure we're not getting ourselves into more trouble," she explained. "Harkon's smart. If we thought of this plan, he must have figured we would have too."

"I think you're giving him too much credit."

"I suppose we'll find out in a few days."

Billy sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, shifting his weight onto the opposite leg. "Are you planning on letting the rest of us know what you're up to?"

"No," she said simply.

He stepped up to the desk, placing his hands firmly on the tabletop and glared down at her. The moment she lifted her eyes to meet his, he said, "Don't try to shut me out. I've been here since day one. I'm just as much a part of this as you are."

She straightened and laughed. "Is that what you think?"

"Please, Lou-"

"Don't call me that-"

Billy slammed his hands onto the desk. "Damn it, Lou! Just listen to yourself! You cannot keep shutting people out! I'm here! I'm not going anywhere! I'm here to help you take down Harkon!"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I was under the impression you were her because Flint was after the blade."

"He might be after the blade," Billy admitted. "But that blasted thing has never been on my mind. Not once."

She blinked at his admission. She watched him carefully, wondering if what he said was true. It was the pain behind his blue eyes that gave her the answer she was seeking.

"I'm begging you to trust me," he said, tone of voice softening. "I'm here to help you - not Flint, not anyone - but you." He straightened, sighing. "You need to trust someone-"

She smirked. "The last time I trusted someone, I had to put a bullet between the eyes."

Billy's head tilted slightly to the side, small scoff escaped his lips. "I'd prefer if you didn't do that to me…"

For the first time in a while, she smiled and laughed a genuine laugh. Billy saw the young girl she used to be. When she stopped laughing, she could see the look on his face - that sudden shift of emotions on his expression.

"What?" she asked, a smile beginning to falter.

He licked his lips as he replied, "You've changed."

Her expression returned to that familiar hardened one he had grown to hate. She turned her eyes back to the desktop. "Yeah, so is the rest of the world."

Billy opened his mouth to speak but panicked knocking on the door silenced him. The two glanced at the door as it flew open, revealing a crewman standing there, white as a sheet. "Royal Navy off the port bow!"

"How many?" she questioned.

"Two!"

They watched the crewman rush back up to the upper decks. Billy and Jeanne exchanged glances before following the man up.

When they reached the upper deck, Jeanne rushed to the port side, scanning the water. She could make out the two Royal Naval ships, proudly flying their colors as they pursued them. They were sailing against the wind, so it gave Jeanne some time to conjure up a plan of action but not as long as she'd like.

"What's the plan, Cap'n?" Jeanne's crewman asked voice strained with fear.

Jeanne's eyes never left the pursuing ships. "We might be able to outrun them-" she paused, glancing over her shoulder to a series of distant islands. She pointed. "Make for those islands. We can try to ground them!"

Billy eyed the islands she pointed out. "Are you sure we'll make it before they gain on us?"

She met his gaze, seemingly unconcerned. "If we don't then at least we made them work for it." She brushed by him, standing near the helmsman. She started shouting orders to the crewmen.

Billy watched the men race into position. He turned his gaze back to the ships chasing them. He knew if he wanted to outrun them, he had better help the crew. He turned and rushed off to help the men gain speed to head to the islands.

As Billy watched them steer off course away from The Walrus and The Ranger, he could see them splitting off from each other. It became clear that they were separating from each other to force the Royal Navy to choose who they'd go after.

The three split off, heading in opposite directions but Billy could see plain as the daylight that the Navy continued to pursue them. They didn't seem interested in giving chase to The Walrus or The Ranger. He knew at that moment, these men worked for Harkon.

The Widow had the wind in her favor, pushing them with the waves with ease. The two Navy ships were falling further behind. Jeanne kept a close eye on them as they drifted away from them.

Billy approached her, eyes still on the pursuing ships. "We're going to reach the islands before they do." He turned his gaze to her and immediately noted her expression. Her brows were knitted together, jaw tense, eyes narrowed with suspicion. Even her posture was rigid. "What's wrong?"

Without blinking or taking her eyes off their followers, she admitted, "This is too easy."

"What?" he asked. "Our escape?"

She nodded curtly. "This reeks of Harkon." With breaking eye contact with the ships behind them, she called out, "How much longer until we reach the island?"

The helmsman cried back, "Almost there!"

She glanced over her shoulder, spotting the islands nearing. She spun on her heel, pointing to the far end of the island. "Make your way for the cove!"

"Aye, Cap'n!"

Billy stood next to her, studying the cove she pointed out. "What are you doing?"

"We can't keep running," she told him. "So, we do the only other thing left for us…" She turned to look up at him. "We fight."

"We are severely outnumbered-"

"You think I don't know that?" she spat. "We're going to try and ambush them as they enter the cove. It's our only option…" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Unless you have a better suggestion?"

Billy's mind raced with thoughts. If The Walrus and The Ranger were near, he'd suggest the three work together to take out the Navy ships, however since they split up, there was no way of knowing which direction they had scattered to. He could feel the winds beginning to shift, giving their enemies a chance to catch up.

He shook his head. "You're right...it's our only option."

She brushed by him, calling orders out to her men. Billy only heard about every third word as his mind filled with scenarios. He wasn't sure this was a good idea. Entering the cove would give them no chance to flee or maneuver if they needed to get out.

As they started to near the entrance to the island's cove, Billy's eyes locked onto something that didn't belong on an island. His mouth parted as he took a step forward, willing his brain to make the connection on what he was seeing.

The moment there was a gap in the island trees, he knew what he was staring at. It was the bowsprit of another ship, anchored with its gunports opened, facing outward towards the cove's entrance.

Billy's eyes widened with fear, his heart slammed into his chest as his stomach dropped and his body quaked. He whirled around and tried to shout a warning but the words were stuck in his throat.

Jeanne's eyes drifted over to see him staring at her with fear. The man in the crow's nest finally screamed, "Guns in the cove! Take cover!"

The warning came a moment too late. The cannon blasts erupted from the cove, sending the cannonballs through a puff of white smoke. It ripped through The Widow like paper. Men screamed in pain, being tossed overboard or through the air upon impact. Splinters from the hull rained down on those still on board. Another barrage of cannon fire erupted, slamming into the mast of the ship, crippling them, and sending those still standing onto the deck with a jerk.

Jeanne's lungs filled with smoke as she coughed, pushing herself back to her feet. She knew they couldn't run. The ship in the cove made sure of that. "Open the gunports and return fire! Arm yourselves and prepare for battle! Take none alive!"

Billy scrambled to his feet alongside the rest of the men who were alive. He rushed back over to Jeanne. He saw the familiar look on her face - the same one she wore the day she killed Clem. "What's happening?"

"We were fools," she told him. "Harkon planned this all along. He knew we would try to do this!"

Billy shook his head. "How would he know?"

"Because someone told him about this!" she shouted back.

"But all the people that were apart of that meeting in Nassau were-"

She lifted her gaze. "There was one other person who knew about that route - about the counterattack maneuver in the cove...because we did it years ago."

Billy shook his head again, face contorted with confusion. It was clear to her that he had no idea what she was talking about.

With a heavy sigh, she explained quickly, "We ran into similar issues when I was a kid...we were trying to outrun another fleet and were going to be ambushed in a similar way. We did this exact thing - only we managed to be the ship in the cove!"

"You're saying Harkon knew about this?"

She shook her head, anger rising behind her dark eyes. "I'm saying he was told-"

Billy grabbed her shoulders, holding her before him as he stared into her eyes. "Who? Who could have told him?"

Without hesitation, she replied, "My father."


	14. Cannon Storm

The battle in the cove was short-lived. Once it became clear to Jeanne that they wouldn't survive this encounter, she was forced to make the painful decision to strike the white. The two Royal Navy ships that had been chasing them ceased fire but remained prepared in case this was a ruse.

The ship in the cove paused their attacks, faint orders were heard from their deck. Jeanne blew a heavy sigh from her lips, eyeing the few crew she could see from where she stood. They didn't appear to be dressed as the Royal Navy from what she could tell - if anything, they looked like a hired crew.

A small launch began to form from the cove's ship. She stared at them, hoping to recognize anyone who was planning on making their way over.

"Is he there?" Billy whispered, his eyes trained ahead like hers.

"Not that I can see," she admitted. "But then again, he might not want to show himself just yet...might wait until we are on his ship before he does."

Billy glanced over his shoulder, eyes scanning the horizon. He hoped to spot Flint's or Vane's ships, but so far, it was just the Royal Navy. He gritted his teeth. For the first time in his life - or at least, for quite some time - he prayed for salvation. He knew the only chance of survival would be if Flint and Vane came in, guns blazing.

The small launch began its approach. Jeanne's head tilted slightly as her eyes narrowed on them. Scanning the four-man launch, she didn't recognize any of them, fueling her belief that these men were hired on recently.

Once the launch reached her ship, Jeanne motioned for her crew to stand down. She had a suspicion they were there for her. In her ideal world, they would take her and allow the others to limp away with what little ship they had left.

The men boarded, eyes darting about the crew anxiously, pistols aimed before them. They turned to Jeanne. "If you'd come with us, we'd like to address the conditions of your surrender."

She gave a curt nod before taking a step forward. Billy cleared his throat, "I'm coming with you."

The men turned their attention and pistols onto Billy. Jeanne motioned for them to keep the peace. "He's my second," she lied. "It would be best if he accompanies us."

The men exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. Finally, after a few hushed whispers, they turned back to the two. "After you," the leader said, motioning his hand toward the launch.

Billy went first to ensure he'd be going with them. Jeanne followed, eyeing the men carefully. One after another, they climbed back into the small launch and shoved off, returning to the ship that sat in the cove.

Once they were on the deck of the other ship, Jeanne scanned the faces staring back at them. They were filthy - most likely scavengers from cities that were picked up along the way. She wondered if any of them knew what they were getting themselves into when they agreed to work for Harkon. They look nearly half-starved too, their clothes ratty and grimy. They simply looked disease-ridden and barely alive. She felt pity for them.

The men from the launch pushed the two towards the Captain's Cabin. Jeanne kept her eyes locked on the door before her. Her heart slammed into her chest as she thought about confronting Harkon once more. She knew where she kept hidden blades and even a small pistol on her body - she hoped to use them against the man and end this battle once and for all.

However, when the heavy wooden door to the Cabin opened, the two were shoved inside and the door slammed closed behind them. Glancing about, they noticed they were the only people within the room. The large mahogany desk that sat in the center of the room filled most of it. A round red carpet silenced their footsteps underneath. There was a large bureau in the corner next to a couple of bookshelves, filled to the brim. Sitting behind the desk was a chest, locked with a padlock. The room smelled like recently applied lacquer.

Jeanne's eyes took in every aspect of the room, searching for clues or understanding as to what to expect moving forward but she failed to see anything of use.

Billy turned to face her. "What do you think they're going to do?"

She shook her head, eyes still darting about the room. "I don't know."

He could see the wheels turning in her mind. She was concocting some kind of plan, this much he could see. He opened his mouth to ask her to fill him in but he never got the chance. The door behind them swung open, slamming into the wall.

Glancing over to the door, the two watched as a familiar face stepped into the room, a devilish grin on his lips. "My, my," he began. "I never would have expected the two of you to be reunited."

Jeanne's posture turned rigid as she glared at Harkon. She didn't even blink, for fear that if she did, he'd vanish from her sights once more. Her hands balled into fists next to her sides as she willed herself to keep calm. She knew if she reacted first, they'd lose.

"I must admit," Harkon began, crossing the room to his desk. "I didn't expect you to surrender." He sat down into his wingback chair, kicking his feet onto the desk. "I am, however, grateful you chose to do so."

"Why is that?" Billy questioned, eyeing the man suspiciously.

Harkon chuckled softly. "Because I want the blade."

"What does that have to do with us?" Billy asked, confused.

Harkon's eyes drifted over to Jeanne. "I've been told that our darling little Lou here knows its whereabouts."

Jeanne's brows knitted together, confusion washing over her features. "I don't know where it is… who told you that?"

Harkon's amusement grew as he stared at her. "I must admit, I have missed you, Lou."

"That's not my name," she spat.

He laughed again. "Of course," he began, smile widening. "I keep forgetting that you're a Frenchwoman now." He cocked his head to the side and asked, "Tell me, how is your beloved little family doing?"

"You son of a bitch!" she spat. She forced herself not to reach for one of her hidden weapons, knowing it was too soon to act.

Harkon dropped his feet back to the floor, leaning on his elbows on the desktop. "I've been told by a few people that you know the location of the blade."

She shook her head. "I swear, if I knew where that blasted thing was, I'd have thrown it into the abyss a long time ago."

"I know," Harkon admitted. "It's why I made sure to keep you alive long enough to keep the facade up."

She glanced over at Billy, both confused. She turned back to Harkon. "What are you talking about?"

Harkon called out, "Bring them in!"

The door behind them opened up once more. Four of Harkon's men entered, two of each securing prisoners. The men forced the two prisoners onto their knees, earning a pained hiss to emerge from them both.

Jeanne stared at the two kneeling before her. Both had been beaten so badly, she couldn't make out distinguishing features on either party. Their hair was dirty, stringy, and matted, falling out in places from lack of proper care or from having been ripped from the scalp, it was hard to say. Their skin was hidden behind layers and layers of filth and grime, she couldn't tell their color. Their eyes were bruised black and a sickly green that could only mean they were infected. Their mouths were scabbed, swollen, and bruised from lengthy beatings.

Even their bodies were so badly mangled, she had a hard time seeing their gender. They had been starved, which was clear by their hunched frames. Their fingers and toes - the ones that hadn't been cut off, were broken in numerous places, causing them to splay out awkwardly.

Jeanne couldn't help but stare at them. She felt a sick reminder of days past when she was abused, tortured, and beaten by Harkon. Tears threatened to well up behind her eyes but she refused. She knew he was playing her - toying with her memories - to make her weak again, fearful even. She refused to play into his games.

Billy turned his gaze over to Harkon. "Who are they?"

"My informants," he explained, eyes locked on Jeanne. "The very ones who told me that Lou knew the location of the blade."

She turned to face him. "I don't know who these people are-"

Harkon let loose a hearty laugh, it sent shivers down Jeanne's spine and all of the hair on her body stood at attention. He cleared his throat, motioning to the two. "I think you'll find that you know them best of all."

With furrowed brows, Jeanne turned back to the battered two. She knelt before them, scanning their faces once more. The moment one lifted their gaze to meet hers, she stared into them. Glancing over to the other, she noticed something hanging from the other's ear. She reached over slowly and fingered the earring. It was clear to Jeanne that this person was a woman.

The woman moaned faintly behind her swollen lips and a broken jaw, "Elle…"

Memories rushed forward and she released a startled gasp, eyes widening. "Madam Rose?" The moment the name slipped by her lips, the battered woman before her, choked out a sob, tears finally falling down her cheeks.

Jeanne returned her attention to the man kneeling before her. She studied him closer, wondering who he was. Just as the man's sad eyes lifted to meet hers again, she knew - she recognized the same color within her own - like she was staring at herself. It was her father.

"That's not possible," she muttered, standing up. "My father's dead-"

Harkon chuckled. "Is that so?" Turning to the man on his knees, Harkon asked, "Did you hear that, Wheeler? You're supposed to be dead."

Jeanne shook her head. "Clem said you killed him - that you tied him to the anchor and sent him below-"

"Ah, Clem," Harkon recalled, almost fondly. "How is the old boy?"

Through gritted teeth, she replied, "Dead."

Harkon's brows raised. "By your hand? Very impressive. I must say, I did not see that coming from you."

Jeanne glared at him. "That's what happens when you send a fucking rat to do your dirty work."

Harkon laughed. "You have quite the mouth on you." He looked down at Wheeler. "She's not your little girl any longer, is she?" He returned his gaze to Jeanne. He could see the anger rising in her. Smiling, he asked, "What's the matter, Lou? Too afraid to take your hidden weapons out on me?" The shock that showed on her face was enough for Harkon to tilt his head at her, a smirk on his face. "What? You think I didn't know?"

Harkon rounded the desk, looming over Jeanne. He stared into her dark angry eyes. "Start removing your weapons or I'll do it for you."

She gritted her teeth, squaring her jaw as she glared at him. Slowly, she began to remove the hidden pistol from her sleeve. She handed it over to him.

The corners of his lips twitched as if he were holding back a smirk. "And your blades?"

Inhaling slowly, she removed the blade from her opposite sleeve. Harkon motioned for more. She swallowed, reached into her boot, and retrieved the one she tucked there. Harkon took the blade and held her gaze. He held his hand out. "That's it," she told him.

With a smirk, he reached forward, sliding his hand around to the small of her back and reached up her shirt to a small knife holster. He pulled the blade out and held it before her face. "Now, I do believe that is all of them."

She watched as he moved back to his desk, depositing all of her weapons onto the desktop. She glanced over to Billy, seeing that he was staring at Harkon, brows furrowed. She turned back to Harkon. He spun on his heel, motioning to his men by the door. "Take the prisoners back to the brig."

Jeanne glanced over her shoulder and watched as the four men roughly grabbed her father and Madam Rose from the floor, forcing them out of the cabin.

Harkon stepped beside her, whispering into her ear, "I thought you should know, your father has given up a lot of information during his stay with me."

Jeanne clenched her jaw, knowing she shouldn't say anything as it would most likely give him more ammunition to use against her - to create more fear within her.

She felt his lips against her ear as he whispered again, "Did you know why your father used Madam Rose? Hmm?" She felt his breath down her neck. It took all of her strength from pushing him away from her. Instead, she waited, knowing that timing meant life and death. Harkon continued, "She's your mother."

"You're a liar," Jeanne growled.

Harkon chuckled. "Am I? She shielded you on the island where you were born," he said, pulling away from her. "Why else do you think she welcomed you with open arms all these years? Why your father continued to go back?"

She shook her head. "You're lying."

He turned his gaze over to Billy. "You've met Madam Rose," he started. "Tell me, do you think it possible the woman is Lou's mother?"

Billy couldn't even recall the woman if he were to be honest. He shook his head, giving a half shrug in response. He didn't know what to say.

Harkon ignored Billy and turned back to Jeanne. "She confessed it to be true," he admitted. "She's not as strong as you...which I must say was a disappointment, which means, you have your father's constitution, for what little he has."

Jeanne's mind began to swim as she listened to Harkon's words. She wondered why he would lie to her about this. What did he gain by messing with her mind in such a way. She knew better than to believe anything he told her. Yet, she had to admit, there were times she wondered if that was the case.

Harkon smirked as he called out loudly, "Take them to their cell."

The door opened again and two men walked in, pistols aimed at them. Jeanne turned back to Harkon. "What are you planning to do?"

"We're going to get the information we need from you," he told her. "One way or another, we'll learn where the blade is."

"I already told you," she said. "I don't know where it is."

"Hmm," he hummed in response. "And I told you, I don't believe you."

She shook her head. "Then you're a fool."

Harkon's eyes flashed red. He grasped her arm tightly, squeezing hard. It was the first time since they had been face to face that she had seen that anger she knew him to have. He leaned his face close to hers as he hissed, "I am not a fool."

"You are if you believe that I know where that damned blade is," she told him, holding her ground firmly. She refused to be put back into that place of fear, even now as he bruised her arm with his grip.

Harkon's eyes narrowed at her. "We'll see soon enough."

"Captain?" a voice shouted from the hall. Footsteps echoed closer before they burst into the room. "Captain! We've got a problem! One of our ships is breaking off!"

"Get them into the brig," he ordered. "I'll deal with them later."

Jeanne watched as Harkon stormed out of his office and up to the decks. The men with pistols trained on them, motioned for them to move forward. They pushed them out of the cabin and down to the brig.

Sounds from up on deck filtered down to their ears - the unmistakable sounds of cannon fire echoed nearby. Billy and Jeanne exchanged glances. Shouts continued up above them. The men leading them to the brig had paused, listening carefully.

Almost reading each other's minds, Billy and Jeanne reached out, trying to secure the pistols from their captors' hands. Billy's grip on the man's wrist tightened before he elbowed the man in the face. His captor dropped his hold on the weapon, allowing Billy to turn it around on him.

Jeanne struggled a little against her captor. Reaching behind her head, she pulled the hairpin from her hair, allowing her locks to fall to her shoulders as she jabbed the hidden blade into his neck.

Billy watched her carefully as she stood up, wiping the blood off onto the man's clothes before returning it to its proper place within her hair. She picked up the pistol and met his gaze. She had a small smirk on her face.

The two entered the brig where her father and Madam Rose were. Billy muttered, "We don't have time for this."

Jeanne ignored him as she marched up to the cell that held both prisoners. Memories washed over her as she noticed the way they were chained inside the cells. She stood at the door. "Tell me the truth."

Billy turned his gaze back to the brig's entrance. He could still hear the shouting up on deck. The sounds of cannon fire increased. He hoped this was the result of Flint and Vane showing up.

Jeanne kept her eyes on her father. "What did you tell him? Why does he think I know where the blade is?"

Wheeler tried to walk over to her, falling to his knees weakly. "I…"

She took him in, feeling sorry for him - but not in the loving, pity sort of way she would have expected. Instead, she found him to be pathetic.

Wheeler's voice broke as he spoke, sounding as though he had gargled broken glass. "You know where it is…"

"No," she said. "I don't."

"On the ship," he tried to say. "Our ship…"

"On our ship?"

"In the hiding holes," he groaned. "On our ship…"

Jeanne shook her head. "On our ship…" she scoffed. "How long has it been on our ship?"

Wheeler licked his busted lips. "The whole….time…"

Jeanne's expression darkened. "What did you say?"

"It was… on our ship...whole time…"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she spat at him. "You knew the whole time?" He nodded at her. "The whole time!?" she screamed at him.

Billy reached his hand toward her, trying to calm her down, to keep her quiet so as not to alert Harkon of their escape.

Jeanne ignored Billy. "So, you had this blade the entire time Harkon was terrorizing us - torturing me?!"

Wheeler nodded, body shaking from his sobs. "I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry?" she shouted. "You're sorry- You're fucking sorry!?" She slammed her hands into the bars of his cell. "When did you get the blade? When did you get a hold of it? Was it before or after Harkon targeted me?"

Wheeler couldn't look her in the eye. "Before-"

"Before," she repeated. "So, Harkon was never after me, was he?" Wheeler shook his head. She scoffed, head shaking slightly. "You sacrificed your daughter for a fucking blade?"

"If I ...could take it... back-"

She laughed sardonically. Pinching the bridge to her nose, she muttered, "Fuck you…" She lifted her gaze to the cowering frame of Madam Rose. "Was Harkon telling the truth? Are you my mother?" Rose kept her head down but the subtle nodding was enough for Jeanne to see. She shook her head at the two. She licked her lips. "Did you know this was how it would have turned out when you let him take me?" Rose lifted her gaze to look Jeanne in the eye. She didn't have to say anything. Jeanne could see the pain in her expression, even through the beatings and filth. "You both can rot in hell."

She started to leave when Wheeler called out to her, "You can...You can stop...this…"

She whirled back around to face him. "I plan to," she snapped. "By killing Harkon-"

"The blade," Wheeler said. "The blade...on…"

"Yeah, on our ship," she muttered. "You said that."

Billy's gaze bounced between the two before he asked, "Where is it? Your ship?"

Wheeler patted the floor. "It's...here..."

Jeanne's brows furrowed. "This isn't our ship-"

Wheeler nodded. "Ours…"

Before anyone could say anything more, the sounds of an explosion burst overhead. The ship shook violently underfoot, knocking those standing off their feet.

Billy scrambled to his feet, bending down to help Jeanne back to hers. He held her gaze, worried her rage was driving her decisions. "Come back to me," he whispered, a silent pleading behind his blue eyes, trying to talk some sense into her.

She glanced at her father one last time. "Let's go."

Billy kept his hold on her for a moment. "What about-"

"Let's go," she repeated. "Let them rot."

"You can't mean that-"

"I'll leave you here if you want," she threatened. She jerked her arm away from him and began to make her way through the ship.

Billy turned his gaze back to Wheeler. He felt sorry for him. He glanced over and spotted the keys hanging on the wall. He grabbed them and tossed them into the cell with Wheeler and Madam Rose before following Jeanne out.

Jeanne darted up the steps that led to the upper deck. She stepped over a dead man's body, splayed out on the deck. She grabbed his sword and pistol, preparing herself for battle.

As Billy followed her, his eyes scanned through the smoke and fire. He could see The Ranger taking down one of the Royal Navy ships on their own. The Walrus had positioned itself next to Harkon's ship. The Widow had managed to turn and return fire onto the remaining Royal Navy vessel.

Memories came back to him, reminding him of what took place the last time the French, Harkon, and Wheeler's crew fought together. He couldn't shake that feeling of deja vu.

Jeanne darted across the deck, heading for the opposite end of the ship to where the launch had last been spotted. Billy shook the memories from his mind and followed her across.

Billy could spot Flint's crew boarding Harkon's ship. He stopped Jeanne. "Look!" He motioned across the deck to Flint's men. "We should give them a hand."

"I want Harkon," she told him. "I have to find where he went!"

Just as she started to run off, he grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Wait," he started. "What if that's what he wants from you?"

"Then we'll both be happy," she retorted. "Let's end this, here and now!"

Billy opened his mouth but found his words stuck. He knew she needed this but he didn't want her to go alone - he knew she needed help. "I'll go with you."

Jeanne shook her head. "Help your crew."

"Lou-"

"Go!" she shouted over the noise, brushing by him to enter the fray. Billy stood there, conflicted as she dodged into the battle on the deck. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Flint finally setting foot onto the deck of Harkon's ship.

Billy ran over to him. "I never thought I'd say this but, I'm glad to see you."

"What happened?" Flint asked, holstering his pistol between his belts.

"There's a lot to tell you," Billy admitted.


	15. Wolves of the Sea

Jeanne found herself back in the lower decks of Harkon's ship. She carefully navigated through the rooms, eyeing them with suspicion. She couldn't help but question what she had been told. Was this her father's ship? It was hard for her to say but if it was, Harkon could be hiding in a variety of places.

Deciding to see if what she had been told was true or not, she headed to the room that used to be her quarters. She pushed the door open and allowed her eyes to drift across the place, hoping to spark some kind of familiarity - like an old lover.

As she began to enter the room, she found herself staring at the windowsill. Stopping shy of the window, her eyes spotted a carved design embedded into the grain. Her fingertips carefully traced the wood before her as a lifetime of memories flooded her mind. It was the same design she had chiseled into the wood when she was a child, a memory nearly forgotten.

Blinking back the tears that overwhelmed her, Jeanne lifted her gaze to the window. She could see the reflection of a silhouette standing in the doorway to the room. She swallowed her nerves, steeling herself for the battle that would most likely follow. She turned around and was face to face with Harkon.

Harkon smiled. "I see you've discovered the truth about this ship." She opened her mouth to reply but couldn't find the words. He crossed the threshold into the room. "It doesn't have to end the way you think, Lou. There's a happy ending for both of us if you're willing to meet me halfway."

"Halfway," she repeated. "To what? Hell?"

Harkon's smile didn't falter. "Give me the blade," he began. "And I will free you from your bonds and your duties to me."

"I belong to no one-"

"You belong to me!" His voice was incredibly loud, it rattled her bones, causing her to slink away from him instinctively. It was the first time since she had seen him that she reacted this way. His body language grew tense as he shouted again, "My name is on you! Or have you forgotten?"

She swallowed, gripping the hilt to her blade tight. She knew this was the moment she had been waiting on for years. "I belong to no one."

Harkon crossed the room swiftly. As she raised her blade to strike him, he batted it across the room before slipping his hand around her neck, lifting her off the ground, and slamming her back into the wall. Her hands flew up to his hold, clawing at his hand.

He brought his other hand up, gripping her coat tight. He whirled her around, slamming her back against the desk in the middle of the room. He pinned her there, crushing her legs uncomfortably between the desk and his body. He leaned forward, grip tight on her neck and coat. "I want the blade!"

Through bated breath, she managed to say, "And...here I... thought ...you wanted... me."

Harkon's grin turned vicious as he lowered his face to hers. "Who said that I didn't? You're mine! I paid for you-" The confusion that washed over her features made him laugh. "Oh, I see...he didn't tell you…" He eased his grip around her neck. She coughed, inhaling sharply as air filled her lungs. "Your father and I made a deal many years ago," he stated. "I bought you many years ago-"

She shook her head. "You lie-"

He smirked. "How do you think he paid for this ship? His crew? The ability to live as a lowly merchant, searching for a mythical blade?" She shook her head as he released his hold of her. "I know you don't believe me," he told her. "But I assure you, I have proof."

He backed away from her, shuffling through the papers on the desk. She sat up slowly as he pulled a paper from the stack. He passed it over to her. "Proof."

Hesitantly, she took the page from him, eyes darting about the words. Her heart sank into her stomach as the words penetrated her mind. "Why would he…"

Harkon cocked his head at her. "Now do you see? I've been honest with you this whole time." Her eyes lifted to see him staring at her "You belong to me...I paid for you."

Shaking her head, trying to keep the tears at bay, she pushed the paper into Harkon's chest. "No...You must have forced him to-"

He grabbed her wrist. "Listen to me carefully," he said. "I want you to give me the blade-"

"I wasn't lying to you," she told him. "I don't know where it is."

"I will kill your father-"

"Go ahead," she said. "I don't care."

Harkon's smile turned sinister. "I was hoping you'd say that."

He grabbed her by the back of the neck, forcing her to walk out of her room. She struggled against him, causing him to tighten his hold even more. She hissed in pain as he increased the pressure.

She stumbled over her feet as he pushed her out the door. "Don't fight me," he told her.

"Let her go!" a familiar voice ordered.

Harkon pulled Jeanne back against him, wrapping his arm around the front of her shoulders. He raised his pistol to the man standing before them.

Wheeler stood before the two, barely. He had propped himself up against one of the support beams, pistol aimed at them. "Let... my daughter... go."

Harkon laughed. "I've told her everything, Wheeler."

"Not everything-"

"I can kill you where you stand and she will not stop me," Harkon confessed. He leaned over, pressing his lips onto her ear. "Will you?"

She jerked her head away from him, eyes locked on her father. There was something different about him. She realized that he was attempting to atone for his wrongdoings. She struggled to forgive him but saw the sad husk of a man before them.

Wheeler took a shaky breath in before saying, "You've...done...enough...Let her...go…"

"Not until I have the blade."

"I will...give it...to you…"

"Where is it?" Harkon demanded.

"On the ship," Wheeler said.

Harkon's voice grew sharp. "Where!?"

Wheeler's eyes turned to Jeanne. "I'm...sorry…" Before she knew what was happening Wheeler aimed the pistol toward them, preparing to pull the trigger but Harkon was faster.

Jeanne watched the world slow as the pistol in Harkon's hand fired, a burst of fire erupting from the barrel. She watched as the blood-splattered out from her father's chest and the cry from his battered body called out. He slid to the floor, slumping forward, and releasing his hold over his pistol; it clattered to the floor.

Harkon growled in frustration as he forced Jeanne back into her old room. "He said the blade was on the ship!" he snapped. "Where is it?!"

"I told you-"

Jeanne didn't have a chance to finish her sentence as he backhanded her hard across the jaw. She felt a tooth loosen as the familiar taste of copper filled her mouth. She spat the blood out across the floor, straightening up.

Harkon paced slightly in front of her. "Where. Is. It?" She glared at him. She squared her jaw, refusing to answer. He asked, "How many more times must we do this?"

"As long as it takes, I suppose," she said, tongue darting out to lick the blood that seeped from her lip away.

He chuckled softly, rubbing his temple before smacking her again. This time, the tooth came out as she spat the mouthful of blood from her behind her lips. Using the back of her hand, she wiped the remnants away.

Harkon grasped her neck again, pulling her toward her until his face was mere inches away from hers. "All of this can be over, Lou," he hissed. "All I need is the blade."

A voice spoke behind them. "You should have listened to her when she said she didn't know." Harkon turned his head, keeping his tight grip around her neck. His eyes landed on Flint. "Because if you had listened, you would have realized that we were searching the ship." He held up an ornate blade, black as onyx with silver inlay across the blade. "For this."

Harkon growled as he glared at Flint. "Give me the blade."

Flint cocked his head to the side. "You know," he started. "You might not remember me…" he chuckled briefly as he admitted, "Honestly, I barely remembered you until you had your little fleet of minions attack my ship all those years ago."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Harkon asked.

Flint held his glare with one of his own. "I admit, it took me a while to understand why I recognized you...but then it occurred to me why it was difficult." He paused to watch Harkon's expression closely as he continued, "We both lived in a world very different from our current one…"

"Is there a point to all of this?" Harkon asked, growing frustrated. His grip around Jeanne's neck tightened. She clawed at his hand.

"You served under Thomas Hamilton," Flint stated. "Before you defected to the Americas...where you decided to create a fleet of Royal Navy ships to do your bidding...without thinking about the repercussions of those actions."

Harkon's eyes narrowed as he stared at Flint. "You...ah, yes...I remember you… the little puppet of Thomas Hamilton and the fuck boy for his wife."

Jeanne turned her gaze over to Flint. If he was angry by Harkon's words, he didn't show it. She clawed at the man's grip again, hoping he'd release her.

Flint glanced at the blade in his hand. "Seems odd that you'd risk becoming a fugitive against the crown for something as trivial as this."

"Then you do not deserve the blade," Harkon said. "Give it to me."

Flint smirked. "I don't think so."

Harkon pulled Jeanne up to her feet, bringing a knife to her throat. "I will slice her neck open from ear to ear."

Flint didn't blink as he stared at the man. "You never were strong enough to fight anyone in a clean fight; always found a way to cheat."

Harkon pushed Jeanne aside, causing her to stumble back onto the ground. "You want a clean fight? Why don't we have one? Winner takes the blade," he said, motioning to the blade in Flint's hand. "And the bitch." He motioned toward Jeanne. "Loser turns into shark bait."

Flint's lips twisted up into a sly smile. "If that's how you want to do this...by all means…"

Harkon's grin turned into a sinister one. "You'll have to wade through blood to win the war that is coming."

Jeanne saw Harkon's gaze fixed on the blade in Flint's hand. She gripped the hilt to her hidden knife as it slid out of her hair and into her hand. She darted to her feet, slamming the blade as hard as she could into the base of his neck.

Harkon turned his gaze over to her, a mixture of surprise and anger washing over his expression. The sounds of him choking on his blood brought pleasure to Jeanne as she watched it ooze from his mouth. The blood seeped out of the wound, down his neck and chest, covering her hand. She glared at him as she leaned close to him. "He might have been willing to have a clean fight with you," she growled. "But I certainly won't."

Yanking the blade from his neck, she watched Harkon tumble to the ground, clutching his throat as the blood drowned him. Her eyes drifted over to Flint, who simply nodded his approval to her.

"Took you long enough," Flint said, a coy smile on his face.

She glanced back down to him. As the life disappeared from his eyes, she felt free once more. A sense of accomplishment washed over her. She knew her husband and child were finally at rest.

She stepped over Harkon's body and exited her room. Her eyes landed on the slumped frame of her father. Flint placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Never better," she said, turning to head up to the stairs that would lead her to the upper deck.

Flint asked, "Don't you want the blade?"

"Fuck the blade," she told him. "Fuck this ship. Fuck it all."

Flint watched as she stomped up to the upper deck, never once looking back or asking about her mother.

On the deck, Jeanne's eyes darted about. She took in the devastation in the cove. She saw the deck was littered with dead men, blood staining the wood. Fires were still raging in places, creating thick smoke to waft freely in the wind. Her ship was still afloat, showing signs of battle. In the distance, she could make out The Ranger and she spotted The Walrus still parked next to The Moray.

It occurred to her just how many lives were lost unnecessarily because of her father's decisions. Had he not have offered to find the blade, these people would still be alive. She glanced up to the sky, closing her eyes as she released the lifetime of anger. She didn't need it anymore.

"Jeanne?" a soft familiar voice spoke beside her. "Are you…"

She opened her eyes and glanced over to see Billy staring at her with bright blue eyes. The concern he had for her was written on his expression plain as day. "Glad to see you're okay."

He nodded briefly, stepping next to her. "What about you?" he asked. "How...how did…"

"It's over now," she told him. "Harkon's dead. My father is dead. Flint has the blade...it's fine…"

"Flint won't be keeping the blade," he told her. She turned her confused gaze over to him. "We're throwing it into the sea."

"I can't believe he'd agree to that," she admitted.

Billy smirked. "Well, he didn't want to…"

"What changed his mind?"

"The crew," he said. "And I think you did…"

"Me?"

He nodded. "There's a danger associated with that blade and he knows it."

"He doesn't strike me as the type that would care about the danger," she pointed out.

Billy laughed. "You're right, he doesn't."

"I really don't care what he does with the blade," she said. "I'm done with it all." She didn't believe for a moment that Flint would give up the blade so readily. She knew Billy was probably telling her what she wanted to hear - but she meant what she said. She didn't care about the blade.

Billy held her gaze, studying her for a moment. "What will you do now? Go back to France?"

She shook her head, a wave of sadness and remorse washing over her. "I can't ever go back there," she told him, voice shaking with emotion. She inhaled deeply. "I think I'll relieve my crew. Find a smaller ship and set sail."

"To where?"

"Doesn't matter," she admitted. "Maybe I'll just pick a direction, find a deserted island, and live out my days there."

"In exile?" Billy gasped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't understand why she would forfeit her life now that she was free.

She offered a small smile, pressing her hand against his beard. "It's better this way. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me."

"Jeanne-"

"I think I'll miss you the most, Billy," she admitted sadly. "But you have your whole life ahead of you-"

He grabbed her hands with his, holding them gently. "Don't shut me out-"

"I'm not…" she said. "But your crew needs you."

Billy shook his head. "I can't lose you again...not this time." He licked his lips and whispered, "I need you."

She chuckled softly. "No, you don't."

She pulled away from him and started across the deck toward her ship. Billy watched as she started to leave. He felt a presence standing beside him. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Silver.

"She is quite the puzzle, isn't she?" Silver stated. "But what's more surprising has been your behavior."

"Mine?"

Silver turned his gaze over to him. "You've regretted letting her go all these years and now that you have her here, you're just going to let her slip through your fingers once more?"

"She doesn't want me to go with her," he said.

Silver chuckled. "Of course she does."

Billy stood idly by as he watched Jeanne climb over the side of the ship onto the launch that most likely waited below. He weighed his options. He wasn't sure if she'd kill him for following her or not. He worried what Flint would do if he walked away from his duties.

As his mind raced with what he should do, it was too late. Jeanne had returned to her ship and they were pulling out of the cove, limping off across the ocean.

Silver watched as The Widow disappeared on the horizon. "You've made a very big mistake, my friend."


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

Jeanne walked along the beach with her handmade spear and bucket, filled with the fish she would have for dinner. She gathered a few shells along the way, some of which she would turn into combs for her hair. The sand beneath her feet no longer burned them as she meandered toward the house she had built with the ship she sailed in on and from what the island provided.

Rounding the corner of the island toward home, she spotted a familiar ship on the edge of the swell. Her eyes adjusted to it before her eyes spotted a small rowboat onshore. Her brows furrowed as she glanced about the beach in search of her guests.

Cautiously, she approached her home. It wasn't until she neared the hut that she saw a familiar frame emerge from within. She blinked at him as he stared back at her, a smile forming on his lips.

He crossed the gap between them, stopping a couple of feet away from her. Her eyes roamed his tall frame for a moment, wondering if she was hallucinating his image. She had done it once before when she had run out of freshwater - before she had found a clean spring to drink from.

He stared at her for a moment before running a hand through his hair. "You might be wondering how we found you…" he started, pausing as he watched her blink at him. "It took some time, believe me…" He shifted his weight onto the other leg.

Motioning off to where The Walrus sat anchored, Billy added, "They're waiting for me to tell them whether or not I'm staying here with you…" he paused again, examining her expression carefully. "That is if you want me to stay."

When she didn't say anything, he continued, "Flint gave the blade back to the Irish." He chuckled. "They were surprised to see his... generosity, they called it." He laughed again at the memory before adding, "They paid him for it, which...you know, isn't as much as he could have gotten for a blade of that caliber but…"

His words stopped as he realized she didn't care about the blade. He licked his lips. "We took Madam Rose back home...she's doing better…"

Jeanne started to walk away from him. He called out, "Wait! Please!" She stopped briefly, glancing over her shoulder. He walked around to face her again. "I wanted to leave with you that day. I realize what a fool I've been all these years...and...I know I have a lot to make up for…" He swallowed nervously, afraid he was blowing his chance of being with her. "Silver told me that I don't deserve you...and maybe he's right but...I mean, I did come all this way to find you...that's got to count for something, right?"

The wind blew across the beach, blowing her hair behind her shoulders. The setting sun created a beautiful mural of pinks, blues, and purples in the sky above them. She scanned his body before sighing heavily.

"Please, Jeanne," he pleaded. "I can't lose you for a third time…"

Her dark eyes darted around his face before she asked, "What took you so long?"

The realization of her words slowly sunk into his brain. When he realized what she had said, a wide smile crossed his lips. "Is that an invitation?"

"If you want it to be," she told him. She watched the pure joy beam from his expression. She held up a hand and added, "I tell you this now...I am not returning to the world as we know it. This is my final resting place...I want you to know that before you agree to this."

He nodded. "I don't want a world without you - not again. I've done it twice. I won't do it again."

She smiled at him. "You're a fool, Billy Bones."

"That I am," he admitted, smiling like a mischievous child.

She nodded slowly. "Then tell them to go and I'll make you dinner." He took the bucket of fish from her, carrying it for her.

The two walked together toward her hut, arm in arm as the sun set into the ocean. The Walrus raised anchor, turning and heading back to the real world, leaving them to become stories for generations to come.

~Fin~


End file.
